IIT Madras Director V. Kamakoti’s Padma Shri award has sparked a political row, with the Congress taking aim at his past remarks on cow urine, even as the award was officially conferred for his contributions to education.
The Kerala unit of the Congress on Sunday posted a sarcastic message on X, saying, “Congratulations to V Kamakoti on receiving the honour. The nation recognises your bleeding edge research on Cow Urine at IIT Madras, taking Gomutra to the world stage.” The post included a video showing Kamakoti reacting to the announcement.
In the video, Kamakoti said the Padma Shri would motivate him to contribute further to national development goals. “The Padma Shri Award means only one thing to me. That I will put all my best efforts towards ‘Viksit Bharat @ 2047’,” he said.
Kamakoti, who has served as director of IIT Madras since 2022, was awarded the Padma Shri for his work in education and research. A computer scientist by training, he is known for his contributions in computer architecture, microprocessor design, and areas linked to national security, and has led several academic and institutional initiatives at IIT Madras.
The Congress’s post referred to remarks made by Kamakoti at a public event last year, where he spoke about the alleged medicinal properties of cow urine while discussing indigenous knowledge systems and organic farming. The comments had earlier drawn criticism from opposition leaders and rationalist groups, who said promoting such claims was inappropriate for the head of a premier technical institution.
Several parties, including the DMK and AIADMK, had also questioned whether his personal beliefs should be presented as scientific claims, with some calling for clarification or an apology.
At the same time, Kamakoti has received backing from members of the technology and business communities, who defended his professional contributions and argued that selective quoting of his remarks ignored the broader context. They said his achievements in research and education should not be overshadowed by his comments on traditional knowledge.
The controversy comes amid the announcement of the Padma Awards for 2026, with the government naming 131 recipients this year — five Padma Vibhushan, 13 Padma Bhushan, and 113 Padma Shri — across a range of fields.