V. Kamakoti, director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, recently faced a backlash for a statement that has fueled Indian curiosity for decades. Speaking at the Maatu Pongal festival on January 15, Kamakoti suggested that cow urine, or ‘gamutra’, has antibacterial, antifungal and digestive properties that could help treat ailments such as fever and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS).
During his talk, Kamakoti shared a story about a sanyasi who was allegedly cured of high fever after consuming cow urine. He emphasized that scientific studies as well as peer-reviewed articles such as, Peptide profiling in cow urine reveals molecular signature of physiological pathways and in-silico predicted bioactive properties by Rohit Kumar et al., which was published in the nature, demonstrated the antibacterial, antifungal and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine. “The antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine have been scientifically demonstrated… The top journals in the United States have published the scientific evidence,” Kamakoti said.
The director of IIT-Madras also explained that his comments were made in the context of promoting organic farming and conservation of indigenous breeds of cattle. He took it a step further by mentioning his personal consumption of Panchakavyam, a combination of five cow products — milk, cow urine, cow dung, ghee and curd — during festivals, adding, “We use it on certain occasions. He consumed panchakas.” However, Kamakoti’s remarks quickly went viral, drawing 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 ‘antibacterial’ and ‘antifungal’ properties and can even cure IBS. This man has a PhD in computer science, but spends his time promoting pseudoscientific nonsense. Taxpayer-funded education is being lost.” Another comment read: “Kamakoti says cow urine has anti-fungal, anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties. Avoids talking about what he preached the other day: a sanyasi took cow’s urine and cured fever. Drinking raw cow’s urine is dangerous.”
The controversy surrounding his comments underscores the ongoing debate surrounding the scientific validity of traditional remedies. Also, when asked if IIT-Madras researchers would study the topic, Kamakoti clarified that any interested researcher could do so, but stressed, “We cannot force anyone to do research on a particular topic.”
