Minister of State for Human Resource Development, Satyapal Singh told reporters on Friday that the Theory of Evolution is “scientifically wrong” as there are no historical records which say that people saw apes turning into human. The Union Minister said, “Darwin’s theory (of evolution of humans) is scientifically wrong. It needs to change in school and college curriculum. Since man is seen on Earth he has always been a man,” he said while speaking to reporters on Friday in Aurangabad. He further added, “Nobody, including our ancestors, in written or oral, have said they saw an ape turning into a man.”
Darwin’s theory scientifically wrong, nobody saw ape turning into man: Union minister Satyapal Singh https://t.co/NHPvmnnkge pic.twitter.com/8bK6YOxCVb
— Hindustan Times (@htTweets) January 20, 2018
People haven’t been too pleased with the performance of the NDA government in the education department and believe Narendra Modi hasn’t paid sufficient attention to the Ministry. The latest gaffe by Satyapal Singh only served to further concerns people already have with the workings of the Ministry for HRD.
People took to Twitter to express their disappointment and mock the Minister for his statement.
“You don’t ‘see’ or ‘believe’ in evolution. You either understand it, or you don’t.”
Please don’t make the government of India look stupid. https://t.co/LKUN7pftQM— Joseph T Noony (@JoeAgneya) January 20, 2018
He has every right to not believe in evolution. The church also denies it.
But worrying thing is, he says it should not be taught in schools and colleges, and he is union HRD minister of state, means he has power to implement it. https://t.co/B0PkvNLN2t
— Raju Das | ৰাজু দাস (@rajudasonline) January 20, 2018
How does UPSC finds such gems? https://t.co/Lq4imkcW4H
— हम भारत के लोग (@India_Policy) January 20, 2018
A man desperately in need of education is in a minister of education (HRD). #SackSatyapal https://t.co/Pg9kqxPs30
— Ram (@ramprasad_c) January 20, 2018
“Our Nana-Nani never mentioned Darwin going to jungle to witness ape-to-human transformation. His theory is WRONG, should not be taught. Humans appeared on Earth as humans from the very beginning.”
And @narendramodi has made this man, @dr_satyapal, a minister in @HRDMinistry. pic.twitter.com/m7Si3QFnLX
— Anand Ranganathan (@ARanganathan72) January 20, 2018
Thankfully I never said that India is Vishwaguru because reality is so embarrassing. Now HRD minster of state says theory of evolution is wrong. Join some evangelist group Sir!! Will be better!!!
— Abhinav Prakash (@Abhina_Prakash) January 20, 2018
Until now, the only people who have demanded that evolution be dropped from the school curriculum are Christian fanatics and Islamic fundamentalists in the United States and other countries and that has been for largely theological reasons. The statements of Satyapal Singh, then, come as a shocker especially for a country the culture of which has never witnessed a conflict between science and spirituality.