Bharat Ratna awardee and eminent scientist CNR Rao today said he never called politicians 'idiots', clarifying an angry outburst that caused a sensation just a day after the government named him for India's highest civilian award, along with Sachin Tendulkar.
Here is your 10-point cheat-sheet to this story:
"There was no outburst; I did not say they are idiots. I just said what you are doing is idiotic, that doesn't mean calling someone an idiot," Professor Rao today said.
He had been quoted in media reports as saying on Sunday that politicians were 'idiots' for ignoring the needs of the scientific community. "....why the hell these idiots, these politicians have given so little for us? In spite of that, we scientists have done something," he reportedly said.
Professor Rao was apparently expressing his anger at 'inadequate funding' for scientific research, while addressing the media after being named for the Bharat Ratna.
He asserted that Indian scientists had achieved much more than possible for the money that the government had given to the scientific sector.
Professor Rao, who is the chairman of the Prime Minister's Scientific Advisory Council, told NDTV that the "industry is not doing enough" to help science.
An international authority on solid state and materials chemistry, the 79-year-old scientist has authored about 45 books and 1500 research papers in his career spanning over five decades.
He is best known for his work in solid-state and structural chemistry. Over time, the Bangalore-based scientist has also contributed extensively to nano materials and hybrid materials.
He is the third man of science after CV Raman and former President APJ Abdul Kalam to be given the Bharat Ratna.
He is one of the few scientists in the world who is a member of all major scientific academies in the world. He is also the only Indian scientist and among a handful in the world with close to 50,000 citations.
Professor Rao also became the first Indian in April this year to reach the H-index of 100, reflecting the enormity of the body of his published research work. This led to comments that the scientist had also scored a 'century', much like the many that adorned the career of his fellow Bharat Ratna awardee, Sachin Tendulkar.
