4 min readNew DelhiUpdated: Jul 30, 2026 09:04 PM IST
Two days after Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra tore into the government in Parliament over the police action against students during the NEET paper leak protests, more than 200 academicians have written her a letter, objecting to her “gaumutra expert” remark, allegedly against IIT Madras Director VK Kamakoti. Responding to Vadra’s remarks, the academicians said mockery is not a substitute for reasoned engagement.
Who is VK Kamakoti
Kamakoti, a Padma awardee, is a member of the six-member task force on exam reforms constituted by the Centre after the NEET paper leak row.
What was in letter written to Priyanka Gandhi
The academicians, including vice-chancellors and former vice-chancellors, said dismissing a scholar through a label rather than engaging with the substance of his views risks undermining the very scientific temper the Constitution calls upon every citizen to develop.
“We write to express our disappointment over your reported remark describing IIT Madras Director Professor V Kamakoti as a ‘gaumutra expert’. Whether intended as sarcasm or political rhetoric, such a characterisation raises concerns that go far beyond one individual. Professor Kamakoti is the head of one of India’s foremost scientific and technological institutions,” the letter said.
“Like every academic, he is entitled to present hypotheses, discuss traditional knowledge and participate in scientific conversations. To dismiss a scholar through a label rather than engage with the substance of his views risks undermining the very scientific temper that our Constitution calls upon every citizen to develop, the letter added.
An open letter signed by academics has expressed concern over Congress MP Priyanka Gandhi Vadra’s reported remarks about IIT Madras Director Prof. V. Kamakoti.
The letter calls for respectful public discourse, urging that scholars be engaged through evidence and reasoned debate… pic.twitter.com/6hCRzThBCT
— DD India (@DDIndialive) July 30, 2026
“Scientific temper is not merely scepticism towards unconventional ideas; it is equally the willingness to examine claims objectively before accepting or rejecting them,” it said.
“In a democracy, disagreement is essential. Mockery is not a substitute for reasoned engagement. Public representatives wield enormous influence over the quality of national discourse. When complex scientific questions become objects of political ridicule, society loses an opportunity for informed debate,” it further said.
What did Priyanak Gandhi say
Amid the discussion on the anti-paper leak bill in the Lok Sabha, the Congress general secretary urged the Centre to take concrete steps by taking all stakeholders along to put a new education system in place. Gandhi Vadra also demanded that Prime Minister Narendra Modi change his advisors, saying that he has become far removed from reality.
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“He needs to understand that merely setting up new committees will not work. Not a single recommendation of the Radhakrishnan Committee has been implemented to date. Meanwhile, the new committee includes a former IB chief, an IT company owner, and even a ‘gau mutra’ expert,” Gandhi Vadra said.
Who’s in the high-powered education reform panel
Modi on Sunday announced the setting up of a high-powered task force to look into next-generation reforms for the education sector, and the team included:
- Technology Expert Nandan Nilekani
- Former ISRO Chairman S Somnath
- Former IB Director Tapan Deka
- IIT Madras Director V Kamakoti
- Former Education Secretary Anita Karwal
- Logistics Expert Amrit Lal Meena