Over 200 scholars condemn Priyanka Gandhi Vadra's 'gau-mutra' comment on IIT Madras director

In New Delhi, more than 200 members of the academic community addressed an open letter to Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra, criticizing her use of the phrase ‘gau-mutra expert’ in a Lok Sabha discussion on the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026. The phrase was understood to refer to IIT Madras director V Kamakoti, one of six experts on a panel reviewing the National Testing Agency after a NEET paper-leak scandal.

The signatories contended that elected officials should debate policies with reasoned argument rather than resorting to ridicule, noting that such labeling weakens scientific discourse. They cited Kamakoti’s MS and PhD from IIT Madras, over 150 publications, leadership of more than 50 R&D projects, and his role in creating India’s first industry-grade microprocessor. The letter warned that dismissing scholars through pejorative tags threatens the constitutional call for scientific temper and may chill academic participation in public debate. It urged future parliamentary discussions to uphold dignity and focus on evidence-based critique.