Scientists to hold Darwin Week, dispel doubts around evolution

NEW DELHI: To remove the “doubts being planted in the minds of the common people” about the theory of evolution, and demonstrate with evidence how humans evolved from apes, scientists from across the country are celebrating ‘Darwin Week’ from Sunday.

Recent statements by MOS for human resource development Satyapal Singh have compelled the scientific community to raise their voices against political interference in the field of science. Singh had stated last month that the Darwin’s theory of evolution was “scientifically wrong” and proposed to drop it from the school and college curriculum.

The February 12 to 18 ‘Darwin Week’ is being organised by The India March for Science Organising Committee and the Breakthrough Science Society.

The committee had organised a protest march in August last year demanding greater financial support for scientific research and education.

“The objective of the Darwin Week will be to remove any doubt that has been planted in the minds of the common people about Darwin’s theory of evolution,” Soumitro Banerjee, Associate Professor at IISER Kolkata, told news agency PTI.

During the proposed Darwin Week, scientists will mount a special drive to reach out to the people to disseminate the Darwin’s theory of organic evolution, which states that life evolved from single celled organisms over a course of millions of years.

Through a series of workshops and seminars, scientists will assert that Darwin’s theory of evolution offers the correct explanation of the observed evolution in nature and is no longer a subject of debate within the scientific community.

“A seed of doubt has been planted among the common people and students that the theory may be wrong - that it’s just a theory,” said Banerjee, who is the General Secretary of the Breakthrough Science Society All India Committee.