Astrology a Pseudoscience: A Critical look at K. N Rao's Legacy “The Tragedy of a Prediction”

Part II
Astrology a Pseudoscience: A Critical look at K. N Rao's Legacy

How Astrology Managed to survive scrutiny of Supreme court but only at the mercy of Science

1. Part II-Astrology a Pseudoscience: A Critical look at K. N Rao's Legacy
“The Tragedy of a Prediction”
Why Astrologers Must Also Apologize? by K.N. Rao
Clash of Titans : How Astrology Managed to survive scrutiny of
Supreme court but only at the mercy of Science.
Acknowledged Failures and Apologies
Raoisalsonotableforhiscandorin
admittinghisfailuresandpublicly
apologizingforthem
•TheP.V.NarasimhaRaoGovernment
(1993)
•TheDefeatoftheNDAGovernment
(2004)
•TheManmohanSingh"Disaster"(2007)

2. Astrology a Pseudoscience: A Critical look at K. N Rao's Legacy
•ThelegalandintellectualdebatesurroundingVedicastrologyinmodern
Indiaiscomplex,withcontrastingviewsfromthejudiciary,the
scientificcommunity,andproponentsofthepractice.
•LegalStatusandJudicialPerspective
•ThelegalstandingofastrologyinIndiaisnotable,asithasbeenasubject
ofcourtrulings.
•In2004,theIndianSupremeCourtdismissedapetitionchallengingthe
introductionof"JyotirVigyan"(Vedicastrology)asanacademic
disciplineinuniversities.
•Thecourt'sdecision,whichessentiallyheldthatteachingastrologydid
notconstituteapromotionofreligion,wasseenbysomeasavalidation
ofitsstatusasafieldofstudy.

3. In 2004, the Indian Supreme Court dismissed a petition challenging
the introduction of "Jyotir Vigyan" (Vedic astrology) as an academic
discipline in universities.

4. Astrology a Pseudoscience: A Critical look at K. N Rao's
Legacy
•Intellectual and Scientific Debate
•Theintellectualdebateisprimarilyaclashbetweentraditionalbeliefs
andmodernscientificrationalism.
•ProponentsofVedicastrologyarguethatitisa"predictivescience"based
oncenturiesofempiricalobservationandisanappliedformof
astronomy.
•Theyviewitasasystemofknowledgethathelpsindividualsunderstand
theirkarmaandspiritualpath.
•ThedebateisfueledbythefactthatmanymajorlifedecisionsinIndia,
frommarriagetobusinessventures,areinfluencedbyastrological
consultations.

5. Intellectual and Scientific Debate

6. Astrology a Pseudoscience: A Critical look at K. N Rao's
Legacy
•Conversely,thescientificcommunityinIndiahaslargelyrejected
astrology,labelingitapseudoscience.
•Prominentscientistsandrationalistorganizationshavearguedthat
astrologylacksanyscientificbasis,explanatorypower,orabilityto
produceverifiable,testablepredictions.
•Theypointtothefrequentfailureofastrologicalpredictionsand
theabsenceofaplausiblephysicalmechanismbywhichcelestial
bodiescouldinfluencehumanlives.
•Scientistshaveactivelyprotestedagainsttheinclusionofastrology
inuniversitycurricula,arguingthatitunderminesthenation's
scientificcredibility.

7. Prominent scientists and rationalist organizations have argued that
astrology lacks any scientific basis, explanatory power, or ability to
produce verifiable, testable predictions.

8. The Stature of a Modern Astrological Luminary
•KotamrajuNarayanaRao,widelyknownasK.N.Rao,isa
preeminentfigureinmodernVedicastrology,reveredforhis
steadfastcommitmenttoaresearch-based,academic,andnon-
commercialapproachtothesubject.
•Bornin1931,hisworkiscreditedwithinitiatingan"astrological
renaissance"inIndiaandinfluencingthefieldglobally.

9. Kotamraju Narayana Rao, widely known as K.N. Rao, is a preeminent
figure in modern Vedic astrology

10. The Stature of a Modern Astrological Luminary
•Unlikemanyofhiscontemporaries,Rao'sphilosophycenteredon
restoringdignitytoastrology,whichheviewednotasameansto
personalwealthbutasasacreddisciplineorVedanga.
•Heneverchargedforhisastrologicalconsultations,statingthathe
practicedasa"mission,"anddedicatedhimselftoteachingwithout
afeeattheBharatiyaVidyaBhavanschool,whichhefoundedin
1987.

11. Unlike many of his contemporaries, Rao's philosophy centered on
restoring dignity to astrology, which he viewed not as a means to
personal wealth but as a sacred discipline or Vedanga

12. He never charged for his astrological consultations, stating
that he practiced as a "mission," and dedicated himself to
teaching without a fee

13. The Stature of a Modern Astrological Luminary
•Thisstanceagainstthe"mercenaryandexploitativenature"of
professionalastrology,includinghisoppositiontocostlyremedial
measuresandfabricatedyogaslikeKaalSarpaYoga,hasearnedhim
boththousandsofadmirersandsomeenemieswithinthe
astrologicalcommunity.

14. K.N. Rao’s stance against the "mercenary and exploitative nature" of professional
astrology, including his opposition to costly remedial measures and fabricated
yogas like Kaal Sarpa Yoga, has earned him both thousands of admirers and some
enemies within the astrological community.

15. K.N. Rao: The Astrologer as a Researcher
•K.N.Rao'sapproachtoastrologywasshapedbyhisdistinguished
careerasacivilservant,whereheservedintheIndianAuditand
AccountsServiceandretiredasaDirectorGeneralin1990.
•HisbackgroundasanEnglishlecturerandhissuccessesingames
likechessandbridgeinstilledinhimasystematic,analytical
mindset.
•Heviewedastrologynotasaprofessionbutasaspiritualdiscipline
(andcommittedtoneverchargingfeesforhisconsultationsor
teaching.

16. K.N. Rao's approach to astrology was shaped by his distinguished
career as a civil servant, where he served in the Indian Audit and
Accounts Service and retired as a Director General in 1990.

17. He viewed astrology not as a profession but as a spiritual
discipline (and committed to never charging fees for his
consultations or teaching.

18. K.N. Rao: The Astrologer as a Researcher
•Thisnon-commercialapproachwasacentraltenetofhismission,
whichbeganwithaprophecyfromayogiin1982thathewouldbe
the"architectofagreatastrologicalrenaissance".

19. K.N. Rao: The Astrologer as a Researcher
•Tothisend,hepioneeredaresearch-basedmethodology,
systematicallycollectingover50,000horoscopestoanalyzeand
validateastrologicalprinciples,acollectionwhichheclaimsisthe
largestintheworld.
•Thisresearchledtothedevelopmentofinnovativetechniqueslike
the"CompositeApproach"andamnemoniccalled"PAC-DARES,"
whichheadvocatedasameanstomakeastrologya"scientific,
replicablescience".

20. The PACDARESmethod is an astrological technique developed by the Indian
astrologer K.N. Rao for analyzing birth horoscopes as part of his Composite
Approach to Vedic astrology.
PACDARES stands for Position, Aspect, Conjunction, Divisional Charts,
Anakshatra(Nakshatra), Release (Dasha), and Expression (Bhavya), and the Sub-
lords (Sub-lords).

21. K.N. Rao: The Astrologer as a Researcher
•Hisfoundationalcontributionwastheestablishmentofthe
BharatiyaVidyaBhavanschoolofastrologyin1987,whichhas
grownintotheworld'slargestastrologyschoolwithover1,000
studentsand25teachers.

22. The Man Behind the Horoscope
•AcomprehensiveunderstandingofK.N.Rao'sastrologicalmethods
isinextricablylinkedtohisdiverseprofessionalandpersonal
background.
•Beforehisretirementin1990asaDirectorGeneralfromtheIndian
AuditandAccountsService(IAAS),Raohadalongand
distinguishedcareeringovernment.Hisearlycareerincludeda
stintasanEnglishlecturer.

23. The Man Behind the Horoscope

24. The Man Behind the Horoscope
•Hisyouthwasalsomarkedbynotablesuccessingamesoflogicand
strategy,includingwinningstatechampionshipsinbothchessand
bridge.Thiscombinationofaliterarybackground,acareerin
auditing,andanaffinityforstrategicgamesprovidesacruciallens
forinterpretinghisapproachtoastrology.

25. The Man Behind the Horoscope
•Anauditor'sdisciplineinvolvesverifyingfactsandidentifying
inconsistencies,whileachessplayer'smindistrainedtoanticipate
outcomesbasedonacomplexsystemofrulesandpatterns.
•Thisstructuredandanalyticalwayofthinkingappearstohave
directlyinfluencedRao'smethodologies,leadinghimtoseek
replicableandverifiablepatternswithinadisciplineoftencriticized
foritsvagueness

26. The structured and analytical way of thinking appears to have
directly influenced Rao's methodologies

27. The Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of K.N.
Rao's Work
AstrologyasaVedangaandSadhana
•K.N.Rao'svisionforastrologyisdeeplyrootedinaspiritualand
philosophicalcontext.Heviewsthedisciplinenotmerelyasa
predictivetoolbutasaVedanga,oranauxiliarydisciplinetothe
Vedas,andaformofsadhana(spiritualpractice).
•Thisperspective,whichheattributestohismentors,positions
astrologyasabridge(paravidya)betweenworldly,material
knowledge(aparavidya)andspiritualknowledge.Thisspiritual
basisinformshisstaunchoppositiontothecommercializationof
thepractice.

28. Astrology as a Vedanga and Sadhana

29. The Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of K.N.
Rao's Work
•Heexplicitlycondemnsastrologerswhochargeexorbitantfeesor
prescribefraudulentremedies,warningthattheywilleventually
"sufferverybadly"duetotheirkarma.
•Thisphilosophicalframeworkinsulatesthecoretenetsofastrology
fromexternalcriticism.
•Whenapredictionfails,thefaultisnotwiththedivinescience
itself,butwiththehumanpractitioner'sego,ignorance,orlackof
spiritualgrounding.

30. He explicitly condemns astrologers who charge exorbitant
fees or prescribe fraudulent remedies, warning that they will
eventually "suffer very badly" due to their karma

31. The Philosophical and Methodological Foundations of K.N.
Rao's Work
TheArchitectureofPrediction
•Rao'sattempttobringastructured,academicapproachtoastrology
ledtothedevelopmentofseveralinnovativemethodologies.
•Thesetechniquesareadirectresponsetotheinternal
inconsistenciesandperceivedsubjectivityofthefield.

32. The Composite Approach and PAC-DARES
•Centraltohisworkisthe"CompositeApproach,"amethodology
thatsynthesizesfindingsfrommultipleastrologicalsystems,suchas
theParashariandJaiminitraditions,anddifferentdivisionalcharts
toconfirmaprediction.
•Thisishisinternalmechanismforincreasingpredictiveconfidence,
whichhedescribesasa"pilingupofindications".Aspecific
elementofthisapproachisthemnemonic"PAC-DARES,"a
research-basedtechniquehedevelopedforhoroscopeanalysis.

33. The Composite Approach and PAC-DARES

34. The Composite Approach and PAC-DARES
•Thisemphasisonamulti-layeredanalysisishisattemptto
professionalizethefield,movingitawayfromsingle-factor
interpretationsandtowardamorerigorous,verifiablesystem,at
leastfromhisperspective.
•Theexistenceofsuchastructuredsystemreflectsaninternal
acknowledgmentoftheneedforgreaterrigorandaself-correction
mechanismwithinthediscipline,evenifitisnotascientificone.

35. The Double Transit
TheDoubleTransit
•Raoiswidelyacknowledgedforpopularizingthe"DoubleTransit"
technique,whichusesthetransitsofJupiterandSaturntotime
majorlifeevents.
•Herequireshisstudentstoapplythistechniquealongsideother
predictivemethods,suchastheVimshottariDashaandChara
Dasha,reinforcinghisbeliefthatasinglefactorisinsufficientfor
accurateprediction.
•Thisisanillustrationofhisanalyticalandsystematicapproach,
whichparallelsthewayamasterchessplayerconsidersmultiple
possibilitiesbeforemakingamove

36. Rao is widely acknowledged for popularizing the "Double
Transit" technique, which uses the transits of Jupiter and
Saturn to time major life events

37. The Problem of Interpretation
•AcriticalcomponentofRao'sphilosophyishispublicstanceon
predictivefailures.Whenpredictionsdonotmaterializeas
expected,heconsistentlyattributestheerrortotheastrologer's
"faultsandlimitations"ratherthantoafundamentalflawinthe
scienceofJyotish.
•Thisisacrucialdistinctionbetweenafaith-basedsystemanda
scientifictheory.

38. Rao's philosophy is his public stance on predictive failures.
When predictions do not materialize as expected, he consistently attributes the
error to the astrologer's "faults and limitations" rather than to a fundamental
flaw in the science of Jyotish.

39. The Problem of Interpretation
•Ascientifictheory,bydefinition,mustbefalsifiable;itis
abandonedormodifiedwhenevidencecontradictsit.Incontrast,
Rao'sframeworkattributescontradictiontohumanfallibility,
therebyprotectingthecorebeliefsofastrologyfromexternal,
empiricalinvalidation.
•Thisisdemonstratedbyhispublicapologiesforhisownpredictive
errors,whichhepresentsasamodelofhumilityandaccountability
forotherastrologerstofollow.

40. Predictions and their Outcomes: A Critical Review
•Thissectionpresentsadetailed,structuredanalysisofK.N.Rao's
publiclydocumentedpredictions,highlightingtheinherent
contradictionsandthesubjectivenatureofwhatconstitutesa
"right"or"wrong"outcome.
•Theanalysismovesbeyondasimplelistofsuccessesandfailuresto
explorethenuancesoftheirinterpretation,particularlyinthe
contextofmundane,orpolitical,predictions.

41. Documented Claims of Success
•The2000U.S.PresidentialElection:Oneofthemostfrequently
citedexamplesofasuccessfulpredictionfromK.N.Rao'sschoolis
theforecastofGeorgeW.Bush'svictoryoverAlGore.This
predictionwasmadebyhisstudent,MarcBoney,whoapplied
Rao'sJaimini'sCharaDashatechnique.
•ThevictoryofBush,particularlygiventhecontentiousnatureof
theelection,ispresentedasacompellingexampleofthepredictive
powerofthismethod.

42. One of the most frequently cited examples of a successful
prediction from K.N. Rao's school is the forecast of George
W. Bush's victory over Al Gore
Thispredictionwasmadeby
hisstudent,MarcBoney,
whoappliedRao'sJaimini's
CharaDashatechnique.

43. Documented Claims of Success
•TheProphecyofRevival:AfoundationalpredictioninRao'spersonal
journeywasmadebytheyogiSwamiMoorkhanandjiin1980.
•TheyogiprophesiedthatRaowould"revivethelostscienceof
Astrology"andbuildthe"world'sbestandbiggestinstitution".
•Thisprophecyispresentedashavingbeenfulfilledthroughaseriesof
keyevents:thefoundingoftheBharatiyaVidyaBhavanschoolin1987,
whichgrewtobecometheworld'slargestastrologyschoolwithover
1,000students,andthelegalvictoryintheSupremeCourtthatgave
astrologyalegallyprotectedstatusinIndia.
•ForRao,thefulfillmentofthisprophecyservesasatestamenttothe
divine,aclearcaseoffateguidinghisactions.

44. A foundational prediction in Rao's personal journey was made by the yogi
Swami Moorkhanandji in 1980.
The yogi prophesied that Rao would "revive the lost science of Astrology" and
build the "world's best and biggest institution".

45. Acknowledged Failures and Apologies
•Despitehisnumerousclaimsofsuccessfulpredictions,Raoisalsonotablefor
hiscandorinadmittinghisfailuresandpubliclyapologizingforthem.
•Thisisapracticeheadvocatesforallastrologers,asitpromoteshumilityand
transparency.
•TheP.V.NarasimhaRaoGovernment(1993):Inanarticletitled"TheTragedy
ofaPrediction,"RaoadmittedhismistakeinforecastingthefalloftheP.V.
NarasimhaRaogovernmentinJuly1993.
•ThegovernmentsurvivedbywhatRaohimselfnoteswasthrough"bribing
JMM"members,aneventthatlaterledtoacourttrial.Whileasimpleanalysis
wouldlabelthisa"wrong"prediction,Rao’sframingofthesurvivalasaresult
ofcorruptionhintsatamorecomplex,moralisticreading.

46. Acknowledged Failures and Apologies
In an article titled "The Tragedy of a Prediction," K. N. Rao admitted his mistake
in forecasting the fall of the P.V. Narasimha Rao government in July 1993.

47. Acknowledged Failures and Apologies
•TheDefeatoftheNDAGovernment(2004):Raoopenlyadmitted
hisfailuretopredictthedefeatoftheNDAgovernmentinthe2004
LokSabhaelections,aneventhe"apologizedinnewspaper
interviews"forthiselectionresultwasamajorsurpriseformany,
andpoliticalanalystshaveattributedtheoutcometoacomplex
interplayoffactors,includingregionalissuesandvotersentiment
againstthe"IndiaShining"campaign

48. The Defeat of the NDA Government (2004):Rao openly admitted his
failure to predict the defeat of the NDA government in the 2004 Lok
Sabha elections, an event he "apologized in newspaper interviews"

49. Acknowledged Failures and Apologies
•TheManmohanSingh"Disaster"(2007):Inastrikingparalleltothe
1993event,Raoadmittedtoasimilarfailurein2007.Hepredicted
a"disaster"fortheManmohanSinghgovernment,butitsurviveda
no-confidencevotethroughthe"notorious'cashforvotes'scandal".
Heagainapologizedpubliclyforthepredictiveerror.
•Thisrepeatedpatternofpredictingapoliticalfallthatisaverted
throughwhathedescribesas"corruptmethods"addsalayerof
complexitytotheconceptofapredictive"failure."
•Itsuggeststhattheastrologicalsystemmayhaveaccurately
identifiedaperiodofmoralorstructuraldecay,eveniftheliteral
politicaloutcomedidnotalignwiththeprediction.

50. The Manmohan Singh "Disaster" (2007):In a striking parallel to the
1993 event, Rao admitted to a similar failure in 2007. He predicted a
"disaster" for the Manmohan Singh government, but it survived a no-
confidence vote

51. Controversies & Predictions Gone Wrong
•AuniqueaspectofK.N.Rao'scareerwashispracticeofpublicly
apologizingforhispredictivefailuresinnewspaperinterviews,a
habithebelievedpromotedhumilityamongastrologerswho"must
notplayGod".

52. Controversies & Predictions Gone Wrong
•PublicAccountability:K.N.Raosetanewstandardbypublicly
apologizingforhisownpredictivefailuresinnewspaper
interviews.
•SpecificFailedPredictions:
•ThefalloftheP.V.NarasimhaRaogovernmentin1993.
•ThedefeatoftheNDAgovernmentin2004.
•ThecollapseoftheManmohanSinghgovernmentin2007.

53. Within the astrological community, Rao was a fierce
critic of what he called "fraudulent astrologers"
•Withintheastrologicalcommunity,Raowasafiercecriticofwhat
hecalled"fraudulentastrologers"whopromotedcostlyremedies
andnon-existentconceptslikeKaalSarpaYoga,whichheinsisted
hadnobasisinclassicaltexts.
•However,hisreformistzealwasnotwithoutitsowninternal
critics.Someastrologersaccusedhimof"blindadherence"to
theLahiriayanāṃśa

54. Rao was a fierce critic of what he called "fraudulent
astrologers" who promoted costly remedies and non-existent
concepts like Kaal Sarpa Yoga

55. Some astrologers criticized Rao for his "dogmatic
adherence" to the Lahiri ayanāṃśa
•EthicalCrusade:Hewasavocalcriticof"fraudulentastrologers"
whosoldexpensivegemsandpromotednon-existentyogaslike
KaalSarpaYoga,arguingthesepracticeshadnobasisinancient
texts.
•InternalCriticism:SomeastrologerscriticizedRaoforhis"dogmatic
adherence"totheLahiriayanāṃśaandfor"reinterpretingclassical
concepts"tofitmoderntimes

56. Some astrologers criticized Rao for his "dogmatic adherence"
to the Lahiri ayanāṃśa

57. The Scientific Critique: Dr. Jayant Narlikar
•Narlikar'sPosition:Aneminentastrophysicistandpublic
intellectual,Dr.JayantNarlikarwasaleadingvoiceforpromoting
"scientifictemper"inIndia,adutyenshrinedinthecountry's
constitution.
•Hepubliclycriticizedastrologyasapseudoscienceand"urban
superstition,"arguingthatitcouldleadto"irrationaldecisions"and
be"harmfultoindividuals"

58. The Scientific Critique: Dr. Jayant Narlikar

59. The Scientific Critique: Dr. Jayant Narlikar
•OntheopposingsideofthedebatestoodDr.JayantNarlikar,a
celebratedastrophysicistandavocalproponentofrationalismand
"scientifictemper".
•Narlikarviewedastrologyasapseudoscienceand"urban
superstition"thatcouldleadto"irrationaldecisions"andbeharmful
toindividuals.

60. Narlikar viewed astrology as a pseudoscience and "urban
superstition" that could lead to "irrational decisions" and be
harmful to individuals.

61. The Scientific Critique: Dr. Jayant Narlikar
•Inapioneeringefforttotestastrology'sempiricalclaims,heandfellow
rationalistNarendraDabholkarconductedalarge-scale,double-blind
studyin2008.Theresearcherscollectedhoroscopesof100intellectually
giftedstudentsand100mentallychallengedstudentsandsent
randomizedsetsof40chartsto51astrologers.
•Topassthetest,anastrologerneededtocorrectlyidentifyatleast28out
of40charts.Theresultswereconclusive:theaveragesuccessrateforthe
astrologerswasonly17.25,whichwas"marginallylessthanwhatwould
beachievedbytossingacoin".Thebest-performingastrologercorrectly
identifiedjust24,wellbelowtherequiredthreshold.Thefindingswere
publishedinthejournal
•CurrentScienceinMarch2009.

62. In a pioneering effort to test astrology's empirical claims, he and
fellow rationalist Narendra Dabholkarconducted a large-scale,
double-blind study in 2008

63. The Scientific Critique: Dr. Jayant Narlikar
•TheStudy:Inapioneeringefforttoempiricallytestastrology,Dr.
Narlikar,alongwithotherresearchersincludingrationalist
NarendraDabholkar,conductedastatistical,double-blindstudy.
Theycollected100horoscopesofintellectuallygiftedstudentsand
100ofmentallychallengedstudents.
•Theythenchallengedastrologerstocorrectlyidentifywhichgroup
eachhoroscopebelongedto.Topass,anastrologerneededatleasta
70%successrate

64. Dr. Narlikar, along with other researchers including rationalist Narendra Dabholkar, conducted a
statistical, double-blind study. They collected 100 horoscopes of intellectually gifted students and
100 of mentally challenged students.
They then challenged astrologers to correctly identify which group each horoscope belonged to.
To pass, an astrologer needed at least a 70% success rate

65. The Scientific Critique: Dr. Jayant Narlikar
•TheResults:Outof51astrologerswhoinitiallyexpressedinterest,
27submittedtheirresults.Thebest-performingastrologercorrectly
identifiedonly24horoscopes,andtheaveragesuccessrateforall
participantswasamere17.25.
•Thestudyconcludedthatastrology'spredictivepowerwas
"marginallylessthanwhatwouldbeachievedbytossingacoin".
Thefindingswerepublishedinthejournal

66. The Results:Out of 51 astrologers who initially expressed interest, 27 submitted
their results. The best-performing astrologer correctly identified only 24
horoscopes, and the average success rate for all participants was a mere 17.25.

67. The Legal Labyrinth: A Different Definition of "Science"
•Thedebatesurroundingastrology'sstatuswasnotconfinedtoscientific
andpsychologicaldiscourse;itenteredthelegalarenawithalandmark
SupremeCourtcase.
•TheUGCandSupremeCourtChallenge
•Intheyear2000,theUniversityGrantsCommission(UGC)andthe
HumanResourcesMinistryintroduced"JyotirVigyan"(Scienceof
Astrology)asadegreecourseinIndianuniversities.
•Thisdecisionwasmetwith"stiffresistance"fromacoalitionofscientists,
rationalists,andpoliticianswhoarguedthatspendingpublicfundsona
"pseudo-science"wasa"giantleapbackwards"thatunderminedthe
constitutionaldutytodevelopa"scientifictemper".

68. In the year 2000, the University Grants Commission (UGC) and the Human
Resources Ministry introduced "JyotirVigyan" (Science of Astrology) as a degree
course in Indian universities.
This decision was met with "stiff resistance" from a coalition of scientists,
rationalists, and politicians who argued that spending public funds on a "pseudo-
science"

69. The Lone Warrior: K.N. Rao's Role
•Amidstthislegalandpublicoutcry,K.N.Raoemergedasthesole
astrologertodefendthecauseinthehighestcourtoftheland.
Despitebeingseriouslyillandbarelyabletowalk,heappealedto
astrologersacrossthecountrytojoinhimaspetitioners.
•Henoteswithconsternationthatover20promisedtoattend,but
whenthecasewasheardonitsmeritsonNovember4,2004,hewas
"theonlyone"presentincourttodefendthesubject.
•Rao'sdecisiontofightthisbattlealone,bolsteredbyhispersonal
collectionofover50,000horoscopes,underscoredhisbeliefthat
thiswasnotmerelyalegalcasebutamissiontorestorethedignity
ofanancienttradition.

70. Amidst this legal and public outcry, K.N. Rao emerged as the
sole astrologer to defend the cause in the highest court of
the land

71. The Verdict and its Rationale
•TheSupremeCourt,inits2004judgment,dismissedtheappeal
againsttheUGC'sdecision,legallyupholdingtheintroductionof
astrologyasanacademicsubject.
•TheCourt'sreasoning,however,hasbeenwidelycriticizedas
"bizarre"andintellectuallyflawed.
•Thejudgmentreliedon"outdateddictionarymeanings"oftheword
"astrology"fromsourceslikeWebster'sNewInternational
DictionaryandEncyclopediaBritannica.

72. The Supreme Court, in its 2004 judgment, dismissed the appeal
against the UGC's decision, legally upholding the introduction of
astrology as an academic subject

73. The Verdict and its Rationale
•TheCourtconcludedthatastrologyisa"sciencethatclaimsto
foretellthefuture"becauseit"reliesonastronomy,whichisa
science".
•Thisargumentwasderidedbycriticsasalogicalfallacy:usinga
scientificallysoundtool(astronomy)doesnotmaketheapplication
(astrology)scientific.
•Itisakintoclaimingthatsincehoroscopesarenowgeneratedby
computers,theymustbescientificbecausecomputersareproducts
ofscience.

74. The Court concluded that astrology is a "science that claims to
foretell the future" because it "relies on astronomy, which is a
science".
This argument was derided by critics as a logical fallacy

75. Legal and Academic Critiques of the Judgment
•WhiletherulingwasalegalvictoryforK.N.Raoandthe
proponentsofastrology,itwasaprofounddisappointmentforthe
scientificcommunity.
•Thejudgment'srelianceonoutdateddefinitionsanditsfailureto
applytherigorousstandardsofscientificmethod—suchas
fallibility,verifiability,andrepeatability—wasseenasa
fundamentalmisunderstandingofwhatconstitutesscience.

76. Legal and Academic Critiques of the Judgment
•LegalscholarsnotedthattheCourtessentiallyaffirmedthe
"academicautonomy"oftheUGCtodefineitscurriculum,rather
thanmakinganempiricalstatementaboutastrology'sscientific
validity.
•Theverdict,therefore,didnotestablishascientifictruthbutalegal
one,demonstratingthatanentity's"scientific"statuscanbesubject
tothedefinitionsandauthorityofdifferentinstitutions,notjust
empiricalevidence

77. Legal scholars noted that the Court essentially affirmed the
"academic autonomy" of the UGC to define its curriculum, rather
than making an empirical statement about astrology's scientific
validity

78. The Legal Battle vs. The Scientific Study: A Timeline
•2000:TheUniversityGrantsCommission(UGC)decidestointroduceadegree
coursein"JyotirVigyan"(ScienceofAstrology).Thisisimmediatelymetwith
legalchallengesinhighcourts.
•2001:TheUGCdecisionisappealedtotheSupremeCourtofIndiaaftertwo
highcourtsdismissthecasesonpreliminarygrounds
•2004(May):TheSupremeCourtdeliversitsfinaljudgment,upholdingthe
UGC'sdecision.K.N.Raoservedasthesolepetitioner-in-personinthecase
whenitwasheardonitsmeritsonNovember4,2004.
•2008:AstrophysicistDr.JayantNarlikar,incollaborationwithrationalist
NarendraDabholkar,conductsadouble-blindstatisticaltestonastrologyin
Pune,Maharashtra.
•2009(March):TheresultsoftheNarlikar-Dabholkarstudyarepublishedinthe
journalCurrentScience,concludingthatastrologicalpredictionsarenobetter
thanrandomchance

79. The Legal Battle vs. The Scientific Study: A Timeline
•Theconflictbetweenthesetwoopposingviewsplayedoutinboth
thelegalsystemandthescientificcommunity.Thetimelineof
eventsdemonstratesastarkcontrastintheirapproachesto
validatingordebunkingastrology.
•2000:TheUniversityGrantsCommission(UGC)introducesa
degreecoursein"JyotirVigyan"(ScienceofAstrology)inIndian
universities,amoveimmediatelymetwithlegalchallengesby
scientistsandrationalists.ThecasesintheMadrasandAndhra
Pradeshhighcourtsaredismissedonpreliminarygrounds.

80. The University Grants Commission (UGC) introduces a degree course
in "JyotirVigyan" (Science of Astrology) in Indian universities, a move
immediately met with legal challenges by scientists and rationalists

81. The Legal Battle vs. The Scientific Study: A Timeline
•2001:Oneofthepetitioners,scientistK.Padmanabhaiah,appeals
thedismissedcasetotheSupremeCourt,whereitisadmittedonits
merits.
•2004(May):TheSupremeCourtofIndiadeliversitsfinaljudgment,
upholdingtheUGC'sdecision.K.N.Rao,despitebeingill,servedas
thesolepetitioner-in-personwhodefendedthecauseofastrology
inthehighestcourt,winningthecaseagainstrenownedlawyer
ShantiBhushan

82. 2001 :One of the petitioners, scientist K. Padmanabhaiah, appeals the dismissed
case to the Supreme Court
2004 : The Supreme Court of India delivers its final judgment, upholding the
UGC's decision.

83. The Legal Battle vs. The Scientific Study: A Timeline
•2008:Inaseparate,independentinitiative,Dr.JayantNarlikarand
histeamconducttheirdouble-blindstatisticaltestonastrologyin
Pune,Maharashtra,toempiricallymeasureitspredictivepower.
•2009(March):TheresultsoftheNarlikar-Dabholkarstudyare
publishedinCurrentScience,concludingthatastrology’spredictive
capabilitiesarenobetterthanrandomchance.

84. 2008:In a separate, independent initiative, Dr. Jayant Narlikarand his team
conduct their double-blind statistical test on astrology in Pune, Maharashtra, to
empirically measure its predictive power.
2009 (March):The results of the Narlikar-Dabholkarstudy are published in
Current Science, concluding that astrology’s predictive capabilities are no better
than random chance.

85. The Relationship: A Clash of Ideologies
•K.N.RaoandDr.JayantNarlikardidnotcollaborateonajoint
study.Instead,theirrelationshipwasoneofpublicandideological
opposition,rootedintheirfundamentallydifferentapproachesto
knowledgeandtruth.
•TheirdualrolesintheUGCcontroversyhighlightthisperfectly:
Narlikarwasaprominentpublicvoiceinthescientificcommunity
arguingagainstthecourse,whileRaowasitslonelegaldefenderin
theSupremeCourt.

86. K.N. Rao and Dr. Jayant Narlikardid not collaborate on a joint study.
Instead, their relationship was one of public and ideological
opposition, rooted in their fundamentally different approaches to
knowledge and truth

87. The Relationship: A Clash of Ideologies
•Theirconflictwasrootedinmethodology.Rao's"internal"
approachinvolvedaccumulatingavastcollectionofhoroscopesto
developandprovehisown"replicable"techniqueswithinthe
astrologicalframework.Conversely,Narlikar's"external"approach
subjectedastrology'sclaimstotherigorous,objectivestandardsof
modernempiricalandstatisticaltesting.
•Theirrespectivelegaciesreflectthisduality,withonefightingto
legitimizeatraditionalpracticeandtheotherworkingtopromotea
scientifictemperthatwouldrejectitentirely

88. The Relationship of Astrologer K.N.Rao & Astrophysicist Dr.
Jayant Narlikar : A Clash of Ideologies
•K.N.RaoandDr.JayantNarlikardidnotcollaborateonanyjointstudy.
Theirrelationshipwasoneofpublicandideologicalopposition,not
collaboration
•TheirconflictwasmostvisibleduringthelegalbattleovertheUGC
astrologycourse.Narlikarwasaprominentvoiceinthescientific
communityopposingthecourse,arguingthatitwasanon-scientific
discipline.Incontrast,K.N.Raoservedasthelonepetitioner-in-person
whosuccessfullydefendedthecourseintheSupremeCourt
•Theirconflictwasrootedinfundamentallydifferentapproachesto
knowledge.Raopursued"internal"researchbyamassingalarge
collectionofhoroscopestodevelophisowntechniques.Narlikar,onthe
otherhand,sought"external"validationbyapplyingtherigorous
standardsofempiricalandstatisticaltestingtoastrology'sclaims

89. The "Loophole" in the Supreme Court Verdict
•AProceduralVictory:Thecourt'sjudgmentwaswidelycriticized
foravoidingthecorescientificdebate.Itwasavictoryforacademic
autonomy,notscientificvalidity.
•FlawedReasoning:
•Thecourtdeclaredastrologya"science"basedonoutdated
dictionarydefinitionsfromthesecondeditionoftheEncyclopedia
BritannicaandWebster'sNewInternationaldictionary.
•AcademicAftermath:Despitethelegalvictory,mosttop-tierIndian
universitiesdidnotadoptthecourse,demonstratingasignificant
gapbetweenlegalvalidationandacademiccredibility.

90. The "Loophole" in the Supreme Court Verdict
•TheSupremeCourt's2004judgment,whilealegalvictoryforK.N.
Rao,waswidelycriticizedforitsflawedreasoningandfailureto
engagewiththescientificargumentsagainstastrology.Thecourt's
primaryargumentwasbasedontheprincipleofacademic
autonomy,assertingthattheUGC,asanexpertbody,hadtheright
todetermineitsowncurriculum.
•Morecontroversially,thecourtdeclaredastrologya"science,"but
didsobyrelyingonoutdateddictionarydefinitionsfromthe
secondeditionoftheEncyclopediaBritannicaandWebster'sNew
Internationaldictionary.

91. The "Loophole" in the Supreme Court Verdict
The court declared astrology a "science" based on outdated dictionary definitions from the second
edition of the Encyclopedia Britannicaand Webster's New International dictionary.
Academic Aftermath:Despite the legal victory, most top-tier Indian universities did not adopt
the course, demonstrating a significant gap between legal validation and academic credibility.

92. The "Loophole" in the Supreme Court Verdict
•Itfurthermadewhatcriticscalleda"bizarre"and"outlandish"
argumentthatsinceastrologyreliesonastronomytodetermine
planetarypositions,andastronomyisascience,astrologyis
thereforea"sciencetothatextent".
•Thisreasoningwasseenasalogicalfallacythatskirtedthecore
issueofastrology'spredictivevalidity.
•Theultimateacademicaftermathwastelling:despitethelegal
precedent,top-tierIndianuniversitiesdidnotwidelyadoptthe
course,demonstratingthesignificantgapbetweenalegaljudgment
andgenuineacademiccredibility.

93. Conclusion
•K.N.Rao'slegacyisdefinedbyaparadox:hesoughttobringa
scientificandrationalapproachtoastrologywhilesimultaneously
beingcriticizedbybothtraditionalistsandthescientific
community.
•Thelegalvictoryhesecured,whilesignificant,didnotlegitimize
astrologyasascienceintheeyesoftheacademicworldduetothe
court’sdeeplyflawedreasoning.
•ThedebatehighlightsthecomplexandongoingtensioninIndia
betweentraditionalknowledgesystemsandmodernscientific
standards.

94. K.N. Rao's legacy is defined by a paradox: he sought to bring a
scientific and rational approach to astrology while simultaneously
being criticized by both traditionalists and the scientific
community.

95. Conclusion
•ThelegacyofK.N.Raoiscomplexandcontradictory,definedbyhis
paradoxesmissiontobringascientificandrationalapproachtoa
disciplinethat,byallempiricalaccounts,isnotone.
•Hispublicactsofaccountabilityforhisownpredictivefailures
wereauniqueattempttoinstillhumilityandrigor,buttheydidnot
protectthecoreclaimsofastrologyfromscientificscrutiny.

96. Conclusion
•Ultimately,hislegalvictoryintheSupremeCourtdidnotserveto
legitimizeastrologyasascienceintheeyesoftheacademicand
scientificworld,astheverdictwasbasedonadeeplyflawedand
widelycriticizedrationale.
•Theongoingdebatehighlightstheprofoundtensionin
contemporaryIndiabetweenupholdingtraditionalknowledge
systemsandadheringtotheprinciplesofmodernscientificinquiry.

97. Ultimately, his legal victory in the Supreme Court did not serve to
legitimize astrology as a science in the eyes of the academic and
scientific world, as the verdict was based on a deeply flawed and
widely criticized rationale

98. Thanks !!!

99. Astrology is an aesthetic affront.
It cheapens astronomy, like using Beethoven for commercial jingles.
-Richard Dawkins