A post shared by IIT Roorkee on Saturday has set off a battle on social media after the institute highlighted research on the antiviral potential of Gau Mutra Ark, or Ayurvedic Cow Urine Distillate. Led by Prof. Shailly Tomar and her team from IIT Roorkee’s Department of Biosciences and Bioengineering, the study identified bioactive compounds in Gau Mutra Ark that showed antiviral activity against the Chikungunya virus under laboratory conditions.According to the institute, the distillate reduced viral load by more than 90 per cent, while an optimised natural compound-based formulation achieved up to 99.85 per cent reduction in laboratory tests. The findings were published in ACS Agricultural Science & Technology, with IIT Roorkee describing the work as an effort to explore Ayurveda-inspired antiviral therapeutics through modern biotechnology.The post reopened one of India’s most persistent fault lines- traditional practices versus scientific research. For supporters, the study was proof that knowledge rooted in Indian traditions deserves scientific examination rather than outright dismissal. One user called the findings a “tight slap to leftists and anti-Hindus”, thanking the researchers for pursuing the work.The critics came out swinging too. “We are a global laughing stock because of these people,” one user wrote. “Scientific institutions should follow evidence, not ideology,” another wrote. People also questioned whether premier institutes should spend time on projects that many people view as politically charged. Some argued that research funds would be better spent on diseases such as cancer and other major health challenges. The IIT Roorkee study arrives against the backdrop of the Centre’s Scientific Utilisation Through Research Augmentation–Prime Products from Indigenous Cows, or SUTRA-PIC, programme. Launched by the Department of Science and Technology in 2020 with an approved budget of Rs 98 crore, the initiative was designed to support research on indigenous cows and cow-based products across health, agriculture and nutrition. Over the years, researchers at several institutions, including IITs, have explored subjects ranging from cow dung-based electrodes and water purification technologies to the chemical profiling of cow urine and its possible industrial applications.
