IIT Bombay is facing backlash over its planned “Garbhavigyan” event, scheduled for January 18, which aims to explore topics related to pregnancy and child development based on Ayurvedic principles. Organized by the institute’s Sanskrit Cell, the session will be conducted by an Ayurveda expert from Sanskruti Arya Gurukulam. The event has sparked debate on campus, with students questioning its scientific validity and expressing concerns about promoting “pseudoscience” at a premier engineering institute. Topics include the influence of ancestors on a child’s traits, mental and physical preparation before pregnancy, and Ayurvedic pregnancy care practices.
Critics argue that hosting such an event at IIT Bombay lends undue credibility to ideas they view as unscientific. This controversy follows the institute’s recent cancellation of a gender cell talk on workplace struggles, which some students see as a double standard. A student voiced disappointment, criticizing the institute for sidelining discussions on social issues while supporting events perceived as unscientific. The move has fueled concerns about promoting tradition over evidence-based science in academic spaces.
Defending the event, an IIT Bombay official stated that it focuses on healthy pregnancy practices rooted in Ayurvedic knowledge, which has centuries of historical context. They clarified that the event was not politically sensitive and did not require institutional review. The official emphasized the importance of open discussions on Indian knowledge and science, asserting that the session offers a platform to explore traditional practices in the context of modern perspectives.