Gautam R. Desiraju
Gautam R. Desiraju
Gautam Radhakrishna Desiraju is an Indian scientist and an emeritus professor at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc). His research is on crystal engineering and weak hydrogen bonds. In March 2026 he was awarded the 14th Ewald Prize of the International Union of Crystallography, the organization's highest award, given every three years.
"Dharma is as fundamental to our existence as its converse in the physical world, the Second Law of Thermodynamics which governs the progression of things from order to randomness. Like the Second Law there will be many definitions of Dharma."
"Hindutva is the single Sanskrit word that attempts to capture the instinctive nature of Bharatiya nationalism that Savarkar tried to define analytically and Ambedkar to articulate emotionally. ... Hindutva is nothing less or nothing more than feeling like a Hindu. ... Hindutva is a philosophy that can guide Bharat in this civilizational battle, a battle which she inherited through the misguided policies of our successive governments."
"It is critical to note that in a nation-state the people take their cue from the Constitution whereas in a civilizational state the Constitution flows from the nature of the people. In the latter, the Constitution is an outcome of national identity and not the rationale for it."
