India needs to be more rational: Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan

Mysuru: “India needs to become more rational and less superstitious as a society,” noted Nobel Laureate Venkatraman Ramakrishnan. While delivering the centenary lecture on ‘Evidence based Science’, on the occasion of Mysore University’s centenary celebrations here on Friday, he said that countries such as China, Japan, Korea and Singapore believe in modern methods, based on rational beliefs, while many Indians were still steeped in superstitions.

He said though the Mars Mission was a great achievement for the country, he lamented that for marriages and births people check if the movements of planets were favourable. “Karnataka Government funded for rituals in temples to avoid the evil effect of solar eclipse,” he said.

Before the launch of Mission Mars, ISRO Chairman visited Tirupati to seek the blessings of Lord Venkatsewara. Also doctors subconsciously communicate their beliefs. They can be neutral in their talk to patients with confidence in them, he said.

Simplicity personified
The Nobel laureate chose to travel by Shatabdi Express and prefers not to flaunt his titles. During an interaction with media on why was he was unwilling to use his knighthood, he said, “I don't like using titles for myself. Even though I have a doctorate, I sign my name without mentioning ‘dr’,” he said.

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