Indian scientists flew plane before Wright brothers, discovered gravity before Newton: Governor Bagde

“India has a rich scientific tradition, and by integrating modern knowledge with our heritage, the nation will take its place as vishwaguru (world teacher),” he said.

Governor Haribhau Bagde on Saturday asserted that Shivkar Bapuji Talpade, an Indian scientist, successfully flew an aeroplane in 1895—eight years before the Wright brothers—based on aero-science principles from Maharishi Bhardwaj's ancient Sanskrit texts. Bagde made this claim while addressing the 12th convocation of Maharishi Dayanand Saraswati University in Ajmer, according to a report by Times of India.

He stated that Talpade had studied the Sanskrit scripture under Chiranjilal Verma and applied its knowledge to build the aircraft, which was allegedly flown at Chaupati in Mumbai.

Additionally, Bagde claimed that the theory of gravity was established much earlier than Isaac Newton’s discovery. He argued that Copernicus had proposed the concept before Newton, and even earlier, Indian mathematician Bhaskaracharya had documented the theory in the 11th century, Times of India reported.

Speaking as the university’s chancellor, Bagde urged students to embrace technology, asserting that India’s scientific tradition, when combined with modern advancements, would propel the country to global leadership.

“India has a rich scientific tradition, and by integrating modern knowledge with our heritage, the nation will take its place as vishwaguru (world teacher),” he said.

He also emphasized the role of universities in reviving the ancient Indian education system, where teachers, referred to as acharyas, not only imparted knowledge but also shaped students’ character.

Bagde highlighted that India's New Education Policy (NEP) was developed through extensive deliberations involving 400 vice chancellors and over a thousand educationists over two years.