US Making Boeing Today, India Had Pushpak Viman Thousands of Years Ago: Min Lodha

Nagpur: Maharashtra skill development minister, Mangal Prabhat Lodha, on Friday said that while the US boasts of manufacturing modern aircraft like Boeing, India possessed aviation technology like the Pushpak Viman mentioned in the Ramayana thousands of years ago. Addressing inauguration of the Vidarbha Vigyan Utsav at the city's Dharampeth Science College, Lodha asserted that India's ancient knowledge systems remain relevant even today and form the country's greatest intellectual treasure. Referring to the Pushpak Viman, the flying chariot associated with Lanka's king Raavan, Lodha said it reflected advanced scientific thinking in ancient Indian civilisation. "Those who make Boeing today boast about it, but during the Ramayana era we already imagined flight. This ancient knowledge is our strength," he said.Speaking on India's freedom struggle, the minister said attributing Independence solely to Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru was only "half the truth". He stressed that thousands of unsung heroes — farmers, labourers, tribals and ordinary citizens — sacrificed their lives for the country. "Lakhs laid down their lives for freedom. Many names will never be known. We must ask ourselves whether we built the Bharat they envisioned," Lodha said. He added that if those freedom fighters knew what India became decades later, they might have questioned their sacrifices. Lodha also criticised the colonial education framework introduced by the British, stating that it was designed to create "products" who chase marks rather than individuals who retain knowledge or develop original thinking. "Macaulay's system trained people to score marks, not to become warriors of knowledge. We must keep that approach aside and generate genuine interest and awareness in science," he said. Emphasising that science is not limited to artificial intelligence or information technology, Lodha remarked, "Science is learning something new from existing knowledge." Calling Nagpur a spiritual centre for those associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Lodha described the city as a ‘punyabhoomi'. "For people like me, coming to Nagpur is like a pilgrimage. Whenever I attend the winter session of the state legislature here, I visit the RSS headquarters and Smruti Mandir. It is after paying tribute to Dr Hedgewar (RSS founder) and Guru Golwalkar (second Sarsanghachalak) that we decide how to take the state forward," he said. Referring to the RSS centenary year and the role of organisations like Vigyan Bharati, Lodha said youth must understand the true meaning of science and scientific temper. He noted that Vigyan Bharati conducted large-scale science-related events across 11 districts of Vidarbha, helping translate India's ancient vision into contemporary understanding.Science Day To Be Dedicated To Jayant SahasrabuddheA memorandum of understanding will soon be signed between the state govt and Vigyan Bharati, and a govt resolution will be issued to declare February 28 — observed as National Science Day — as ‘Jayantrao Sahasrabuddhe Science Day' in memory of the noted science educator and pioneer of the science movement. Lodha also said Vigyan Bharati would work with the state govt to promote scientific awareness among teachers, for which financial assistance of Rs5 lakh will be provided.