'Wrong information': Scientists concerned over 'flying chariots' reference in NCERT's Chandrayaan-3

A group of scientists from the All India People’s Science Network (AIPSN) has raised concerns over the recent modules by the NCERT (National Council of Educational Research and Training) on Chandrayaan-3 issued for school students. 

The scientists have pointed out "many technical errors", "pseudo-scientific claims and misleading scientific content", references to a "Nazi scientist", and ancient mythological elements that they called were quite out of sync with the usual standards of material from NCERT. 

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To educate future generations about India's space missions, the NCERT released "Chandrayaan Utsav" modules on October 17.  The modules were targeted at different learning states as described in NEP 2020 (Foundational, Primary, Middle School, Secondary, and Higher Secondary). However, they faced backlash over what some claimed was the introduction of mythology into science, references to “flying chariots'', and “Vimanas” from the Vedic texts.

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After initial criticism, the council recalled the materials. However, the NCERT re-introduced the modules, after the central government defended the amalgamation of mythology and philosophy as sources of innovation and research. The Ministry of Education in a statement on October 25 said that in the light of the rapid advancements and notable milestones achieved at the national level, "it becomes imperative to equip our teachers and students with knowledge that transcends traditional textbooks".

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"Mythology and philosophy put forward ideas...and ideas lead to innovation and research. Numerous research studies emphasize that mythology plays an indispensable role in the cultural fabric of any country, including Bharat...furthermore, the integration of culture into education not only fosters a profound understanding of a nation's historical legacy but also bolsters creativity and problem-solving skills among students," the ministry said.

Now, the AIPSN, a group of 40 scientists has issued a detailed statement to counter some of the points made in the modules by the NCERT. For instance, the module mentions that there are various mentions of flying chariots (Rath) and flying vehicles (Vimaan) which were used in battles and wars. "All gods … travel from one place to another."   

However, the scientists said all these mentions of flying vehicles in various Vedic texts and epics are understood to be products of the poets’ imagination. "There is no proof of any human leaving the Earth to travel to space before Uri Gagarin did it in 1961."

The network also discarded the content on Vymaanika Shastra, a Sanskrit text featured in the NCERT modules. The content, according to the council, includes "mind-boggling details of construction, working of engines and the gyroscopic systems". However, scientists said that it had been conclusively shown through research that the origin of the much-touted Vymaanika Shastra text "can only be traced to the early 20th century and the designs, engines, and instruments described in it are "completely imaginary, unscientific and useless".

The AIPSN also said that the modules had inaccurate scientific details such as "moon protecting the earth from solar wind" and "Chandrayaan-2 discovering an ice sheet in the lunar crater". "The mission confirmed the presence of water molecules. Moreover, “Ice Sheet” refers to a thick layer of only ice, whereas the amount of water in lunar craters is too small to form ice sheets," the statement said. 

The scientists said there was a clear danger that this wrong information would be transmitted to students as-is and cause real harm. "Or worse: the content is so badly written that students will be put off this exciting field," they said.

"Members of the scientific community and all rationally minded citizens should summarily reject this shoddily prepared material. The way NCERT reacted after the criticism to withdraw them and then put them back on after the government defended the mythology must not happen again."