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By:

Subhash Kaushik and Kishore Paknikar

21 August 2024 at 11:16:39 am

Homoeopathy, As We Know It

When NASA searches for life beyond Earth, it speaks of searching for “life, as we know it.” Those five words capture one of the most important principles of science. If life exists elsewhere in the universe, it may not resemble the life we know on Earth. Scientists therefore do not search for the unknown using yesterday’s assumptions. They search with better instruments, better questions, and an open mind. The same principle has guided every major scientific breakthrough. Every generation...

Homoeopathy, As We Know It

When NASA searches for life beyond Earth, it speaks of searching for “life, as we know it.” Those five words capture one of the most important principles of science. If life exists elsewhere in the universe, it may not resemble the life we know on Earth. Scientists therefore do not search for the unknown using yesterday’s assumptions. They search with better instruments, better questions, and an open mind. The same principle has guided every major scientific breakthrough. Every generation mistakes the limits of its instruments for the limits of nature. Microorganisms influenced human life long before the microscope revealed them. Most stomach ulcers were blamed on stress until the discovery of Helicobacter pylori changed medicine forever. Casting Aspersions The same lesson applies to homoeopathy. For more than two centuries, homoeopathy has occupied a unique place in medicine. It has been practised across the world, integrated into healthcare systems in many countries and trusted by millions of patients. At the same time, it has remained one of the most debated systems of medicine. Critics have questioned not merely whether it works, but whether it could work at all. Most medical debates begin after a treatment has shown some benefit. Homoeopathy has often been judged before the scientific discussion could move beyond its proposed mechanism. Homoeopathic medicines are diluted to such an extent that little or none of the original substance is expected to remain. If almost nothing remains, how can anything produce a biological effect? Judged by the chemistry and analytical methods available during the nineteenth and much of the twentieth century, that conclusion appeared entirely reasonable. Science, however, does not stand still. Its greatest strength is not certainty but self-correction. New instruments often compel scientists to revisit old conclusions. Advances in nanoscience, materials science and analytical chemistry now allow researchers to examine highly diluted preparations in ways that earlier generations simply could not. Research from India and other countries has reported observations, including measurable physicochemical features in some highly diluted preparations, that have reopened scientific discussion. Not every finding has been independently reproduced, and many questions remain unanswered. Yet one conclusion is becoming increasingly difficult to dismiss. The scientific basis for rejecting homoeopathy without further investigation is no longer as strong as it once appeared. Changing Perceptions Yesterday’s science asked whether homoeopathy was possible. Today’s science is increasingly asking how highly diluted preparations should be investigated using the best tools available. The placebo argument deserves similar attention. Critics frequently argue that any benefit observed with homoeopathy is simply the placebo effect. There is no doubt that placebo is real. Confidence in a physician, expectation of recovery, and the body’s own healing mechanisms influence outcomes in every branch of medicine. More than two centuries ago, physicians recognized that nature itself plays a powerful role in healing. That observation applies not only to homoeopathy but to every therapeutic system, including modern medicine. Homoeopathy has been reported to produce responses not only in adults but also in infants, animals and even plants, where expectation and belief cannot readily account for the observations. These reports do not, by themselves, prove the effectiveness of homoeopathy. Scientific conclusions require rigorous, reproducible and independently verified evidence. They do, however, raise a legitimate scientific question. If placebo cannot adequately explain every reported observation, what does? The answer cannot come from opinion. It can come only from careful scientific investigation. This is precisely how science has always progressed. It does not reject difficult questions because they challenge accepted thinking. Nor does it accept extraordinary claims without evidence. It designs better experiments. India is uniquely positioned to lead this next phase of inquiry. It possesses one of the world’s largest networks of qualified homoeopathic physicians, teaching institutions, hospitals and patients. Equally important, it has created a dedicated research ecosystem through the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), the apex research organisation under the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India. Its mandate is neither to defend tradition nor to promote belief. Its responsibility is to generate credible evidence through laboratory research, well-designed clinical studies, public health investigations and collaborations with leading scientific institutions. The history of science repeatedly reminds us that ideas are not accepted because they are popular, nor rejected because they are unconventional. They are judged by evidence. Homoeopathy should be no exception. It should neither receive special privilege nor face special prejudice. It should be subjected to exactly the same standards expected of every other branch of medicine. That is the spirit in which this article has been written. One of us comes from a lifetime devoted to homoeopathic research, education and patient care. The other has spent decades in mainstream scientific research, institution building and promoting scientific temper. We share neither blind faith nor blind scepticism but a commitment to the scientific method. The larger lesson extends far beyond homoeopathy. Scientific progress depends on a willingness to revisit yesterday’s conclusions when today’s evidence demands it. Every generation mistakes the limits of its instruments for the limits of nature. The history of discovery is, in many ways, the history of overcoming those limits. Homoeopathy may ultimately confirm some long-held beliefs. It may equally challenge others. Science must remain prepared for either possibility. What it cannot afford is to stop asking questions simply because the answers appear inconvenient. Research does not exist to protect ideas. It exists to test them. Homoeopathy has earned that test. It deserves to be judged by the best evidence that twenty-first century science can generate, not by the limitations of nineteenth-century knowledge. (Dr. Kaushik is the Director General, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), Ministry of Ayush, New Delhi; Dr. Paknikar is the Member, Scientific Advisory Board, CCRH, N. Delhi and ANRF Prime Minister Professor, COEP Technological University, Pune. Views personal.)

An Informed Vote Begins With Financial Literacy

When you cast your vote, you choose more than a political leader—you choose who will be entrusted with managing public money.

Bharat, a 28-year-old software engineer, walked into a polling booth to cast his vote with confidence. He followed political debates, watched campaign speeches, and regularly discussed current affairs with friends. But when someone asked him where his taxes went, how the government funded welfare schemes, or what rights he held as a taxpayer, he had no clear answer.


Bharat represents millions of educated Indians. While many actively participate in elections, only a few truly understand the financial system that runs the country. As a Chartered Accountant, I believe that every citizen must understand public finance before deciding who should govern the nation. Democracy is not merely about casting a ballot—it is about making informed choices.


Every government initiative, whether it is a new expressway, a public hospital, a subsidy, or a welfare programme, is funded by public money. This revenue comes from citizens through income tax, GST, customs duty, and corporate taxes. Even those who do not fall within the income tax bracket contribute indirectly whenever they purchase everyday goods or services. Therefore, every Indian has an inherent right to know how public funds are collected and utilised.


Seek Accountability

The Constitution grants citizens not only the right to vote but also the power to seek transparency and accountability from public institutions. Statutory frameworks like the Right to Information (RTI) Act reinforce this principle. Citizens should exercise these rights responsibly to evaluate whether public money is being spent efficiently and honestly.


From a financial management perspective, accountability is the bedrock of governance. In the corporate world, businesses prepare strict financial statements to explain how shareholders' money has been deployed. Governments must be held to the same expectation of transparency and fiscal discipline. Responsible budgeting, controlled public debt, efficient expenditure, and long-term economic planning are the truest indicators of good governance.


Unfortunately, many election debates focus entirely on grand promises and political slogans. A financially aware voter must ask deeper questions: How will these promises be funded? Will they increase the debt burden on future taxpayers? Will they generate sustainable economic growth or merely provide temporary relief? These are critical fiscal questions that every responsible citizen should consider, regardless of political preference.


Financial literacy also strengthens democratic independence. A citizen who understands taxation, savings, investments, inflation, and budgeting is less likely to be influenced by misinformation or unrealistic manifestos. This economic awareness enables people to evaluate policies objectively, basing decisions on hard facts instead of raw emotions.


Beyond Taxation

As financial professionals, our responsibility extends far beyond corporate taxation and auditing. We have a civic duty to promote financial awareness among citizens and encourage informed participation in public life. An economically literate society naturally demands better governance, greater transparency, and stronger institutional accountability.


Ultimately, an election is not just about choosing a political leader—it is about selecting the custodians of the nation's finances. Every vote directly influences taxation, public expenditure, infrastructure, employment, and the country's economic trajectory. Before casting a vote, every citizen should ask not only, "Who should govern?" but also, "Who will manage public money responsibly?" An informed vote is both a constitutional right and a financial responsibility.


(The writer is a Chartered Accountant based in Thane. Views personal.)

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