Overview
- The Government of India named IIT Madras director V. Kamakoti a Padma Shri awardee for contributions to education, research and technology.
- The Kerala unit of the Congress posted a sarcastic message on X referencing "cow urine" research while congratulating him on the honor.
- Zoho founder Sridhar Vembu defended Kamakoti, calling dismissal of such study a "slavish colonial mindset" and asserting cow dung and urine have valuable microbiomes.
- Kerala Congress replied to Vembu by questioning outcomes from such research and challenging him to fund rigorous studies, citing an investigation into irregular spending in a Madhya Pradesh panchagavya project.
- Ex-Infosys CFO Mohandas Pai condemned the Congress post and lauded Kamakoti's record, as coverage noted no institutional sanction or retraction regarding Kamakoti's past remarks.