Scientific temper and nehruvian influence: how the millennials are handling the mythologization of science in India

Abstract

Jawaharlal Nehru’s contribution in pioneering the concept of scientific temper in India is widely acknowledged, and his legacy has had an influence on Academia, Education policy and popular science movements in the country. But in the last decade, the new age social media revolution has seen a renaissance of right wing nationalism, backed by an aggressive trend where ancient myths are transformed into historical facts and instant messaging groups are flooded with forwards of superstitious and irrational beliefs of religious exceptionalism. This has set the platform for a mythologization of science in a polarizing society eager to find sustenance in past glories. In such a fluid situation, it would be pertinent to ask how young Indians are handling the misinformation masquerading as science. This mixed method study explores the impact of the mythologization of science on Indian millennial group and the results show that they are not to be underestimated.