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IIT-M Director V Kamakoti's lauds ‘anti-fungal’ properties of cow urine, sparks social media outcry from netizens

ByAadrika Sominder
Jan 21, 2025 08:53 PM IST

IIT-Madras Director V Kamakoti's remarks on cow urine's medicinal properties have sparked controversy, with accusations of promoting pseudoscience; readd

V Kamakoti, the Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, has recently faced backlash for a claim that has been at the helm of Indian curiosity for many decades. Speaking at a Maatu Pongal celebration on January 15, Kamakoti suggested that cow urine, or ‘gomutra’, possesses anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and digestive properties that could help treat conditions like fever and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).

IT-M Director V Kamakoti
IT-M Director V Kamakoti

During his speech, Kamakoti shared a story about a sanyasi who allegedly recovered from a high fever after consuming cow urine. He emphasised that scientific studies as well as peer-reviewed papers such as, Peptide profiling in cow urine reveals molecular signature of physiology-driven pathways and in-silico predicted bioactive properties by Rohit Kumar et al which was published in Nature, have demonstrated the anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine. “The antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine have been scientifically demonstrated… Top journals in the United States have published scientific evidence,” Kamakoti stated.

The IIT-Madras director also explained that his comments were made in the context of advocating for organic farming and the preservation of indigenous cattle breeds. He took it one step further by mentioning his personal use of Panchakavyam, a combination of five cow products—milk, cow urine, cow dung, ghee and curd—during festivals, adding, “We do consume on certain occasions. I have consumed panchakavyam.” However, Kamakoti's remarks quickly went viral, sparking sharp criticism on social media. Critics accused him of promoting “pseudoscience”.

One user wrote, “V Kamakoti, director of IIT Madras, claimed that cow urine has “anti-bacterial” and “anti-fungal” properties and can even cure IBS. This man has a PhD in Computer Science but spends his time promoting pseudoscientific nonsense. Taxpayer-funded education down the drain.” Another comment read, “Kamakoti says that cow urine is containing the properties — anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory. Evades to speak on what he propagated the other day: a sanyasi took cow-urine and got his fever cured. Drinking unprocessed cow urine is dangerous.”

The controversy around his comments highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the scientific validation of traditional remedies. Furthermore, when asked whether researchers at IIT-Madras would study the topic, Kamakoti clarified that any interested researcher was welcome to pursue it, but emphasised, “We cannot force anyone to take up research on a specific subject.”

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