Galileo Science Centre

06/10/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1CHqBWGkT2/

05/10/2026

*BSS-Abroad | Register and join the on-line panel discussion on Cow-Science*

*Topic:* What Science Says About Panchagavya—How Now Cow?
*Date & Time:* 4 Oct 2026 (Sun), 7:30 PM IST (14:00 UTC)

*Registration link:* https://forms.gle/KAtBzpyXws4qtaVu8

*Abstract:* The panelists will critically examine the basis of *Panchagavya,* with particular focus on the claimed medicinal benefits of cow-urine, cow-dung, cow-milk, cow-curd, and cow-ghee, as well as how special are Indian cows. The discussion will explore the evidence behind these claims and the scientific methods and research used to investigate them.

_We request you register and share it widely._

05/10/2026

Press Statement: Strong Protest Against the Move to Re-establish a Missile Launch Centre at Junput

The West Bengal State Committee of the Breakthrough Science Society strongly condemns the recent statement of the Chief Minister regarding the proposal to re-establish the long-pending missile launch centre at Junput, one of the major centres of the fishing industry in Purba Medinipur district.

In a press statement, Professor Tapan Kumar Shi, State Secretary of the Breakthrough Science Society, West Bengal, said:

“The statement made by the Chief Minister at an event in Kolkata on September 11 regarding the establishment of a missile launch centre at Junput has once again caused fear and anxiety among thousands of fisherfolk in Junput and adjoining areas, as well as among the residents of Contai town.

During the tenure of the previous government, thousands of fisherfolk and villagers in Junput, along with various fishermen’s organisations, environmentally conscious citizens and the Breakthrough Science Society, had joined the movement demanding protection of their livelihoods and the coastal environment. Under the pressure of this movement, the project was suspended at that time.

It is deeply disappointing that the present government is now seeking to revive the project while once again ignoring the views and concerns of local people. We strongly oppose this move.

Considering the employment and livelihoods of the people of Junput, environmentally sustainable initiatives such as tourism, fisheries-based industries and food-processing industries can be developed in the area. Instead, pursuing a project that may put thousands of fisherfolk at risk of losing their livelihoods and homesteads, while potentially causing damage to the fragile coastal environment, is completely unacceptable.

If the establishment of a missile launch centre is considered essential in the interest of national defence, an alternative location should be selected where population density is low and the impact on people’s lives, livelihoods and the environment is minimised.

We appeal to the people of Junput and adjoining areas to unite, irrespective of political affiliations, and build a strong mass movement to protect their lives, livelihoods and the coastal environment.”

Media Contact:
Dr. Shubhra Prakash Kajli
Date: September 15, 2026


ut

05/10/2026

NCERT Textbooks Must Uphold Scientific Temper

We, members of the scientific community, express serious concern over the manner in which religious beliefs and supernatural claims are presented in the newly revised NCERT Class IX Social Science textbook, Understanding Society: India and Beyond-Part 2.

Our concern relates particularly to the chapter “Resistance and Resilience (1000–1700 CE)”, which includes traditional accounts of rulers such as Shivaji, Annamaraja of Bastar and Kumara Kampana receiving swords from goddesses.

Religious traditions, legends and beliefs are undoubtedly important subjects of study in understanding India’s history and culture. However, a traditional belief cannot be presented as an established historical fact, still less as scientific knowledge. A school textbook must maintain a clear distinction between historical evidence, traditional narratives and matters of faith.

If such accounts are included in textbooks, students should be clearly informed about their sources, the historical evidence supporting them, and whether the claims can be independently verified. Presenting them without such context risks blurring the essential distinction between belief and evidence.

The same principle must apply to the study of Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS). India has made genuine and significant contributions to mathematics, astronomy, medicine and many other fields, and these contributions deserve serious and rigorous study. But a claim does not become scientifically valid simply because it is ancient, traditional or Indian. Scientific validity rests on evidence, reason, verification and reproducibility—not on antiquity or cultural origin.

The purpose of education is not merely to transmit information but to cultivate the capacity to question, examine and reason. Students should be encouraged to ask:
What is the evidence?
What is the source?
Can the claim be independently verified?
Such critical inquiry is fundamental to the development of scientific temper and is integral to the constitutional duty enshrined in Article 51A(h) of the Constitution of India.

India’s rich intellectual and cultural heritage deserves to be studied with respect—but also with critical scrutiny, historical rigour and scientific integrity. Our textbooks must ensure that belief and legend are not presented as unquestioned knowledge, and that the classroom remains a place where curiosity, reason and evidence are valued above assertion.

NCERT textbooks must uphold scientific temper and nurture a spirit of inquiry among young minds.

24/09/2026

24/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/r/19Yx4Xbhxp/

20/09/2026

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1MHvCQmGgr/