V Kamakoti, the Director of the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Madras, has recently faced backlash for a claim that has been at the helm of Indian curiosity for many decades. Speaking at a Maatu Pongal celebration on January 15, Kamakoti suggested that cow urine, or ‘gomutra’, possesses anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and digestive properties that could help treat conditions like fever and irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). IT-M Director V Kamakoti During his speech, Kamakoti shared a story about a sanyasi who allegedly recovered from a high fever after consuming cow urine. He emphasised that scientific studies as well as peer-reviewed papers such as, Peptide profiling in cow urine reveals molecular signature of physiology-driven pathways and in-silico predicted bioactive properties by Rohit Kumar et al which was published in Nature, have demonstrated the anti-bacterial, anti-fungal, and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine. “The antifungal, antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties of cow urine have been scientifically demonstrated… Top journals in the United States have published scientific evidence,” Kamakoti stated. The IIT-Madras director also explained that his comments were made in …