Why did ISC wait 100 years to discuss ancient science: Bhatkar

Image
Press Trust of India Mumbai
Last Updated : Jan 04 2015 | 7:45 PM IST
Emphasising the importance of ancient Indian science, noted computer scientist Vijay Bhatkar today asked why it took 100 years for the Indian Science Congress to discuss the issue.
"We observe that it is for the very first time in 102 years at the Indian Science Congress, that we have discussed ancient science. Why did it take 100 years for us to do so," Bhatkar said while addressing a symposium on "Ancient Indian sciences through Sanskrit", at the 102nd Indian Science Congress, underway here.
"Why did it take 100 years to realise that this is a very important issue of science," Bhatkar, who is architect of the PARAM series of supercomputers, said.
"The first question to be addressed is, why should we study, research, investigate ancient Indian sciences. This should have been an integral part of every (Indian Science) Congress," he said.
"Today, the big question is, whether the human race will survive or not," he said.
"Google is a search engine. It is pure maths and algorithms. Today, when I ask a question in English, my computer, server, clouds must understand it and reply in natural language. This is a frontier," he said.
"If this really has to be solved precisely and correctly, I believe, you will have to go to Sanskrit as a language. We want great computer scientists to study Sanskrit," Bhatkar said.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Jan 04 2015 | 7:45 PM IST

Next Story