“Principal Puts Cow Dung on Wall for Cooling, DU Student Chief Returns Favour by Applying Cow Dung on Principal’s Office Wall”
Delhi, India – April 16, 2025: A Delhi University college principal has stirred nationwide debate and gone viral online after a video showed her applying cow dung on cement classroom walls—sparking sharp criticism, protests, and questions about scientific credibility.
The principal of Laxmibai College, Pratyusha Vatsala, is seen in a 35-second clip standing on a wooden table, wearing trainer shoes and a teal sari, methodically scooping and smearing cow dung in semi-circular motions across classroom walls. According to her, this act was part of a faculty-led research project titled “Study of Heat Stress Control by Using Traditional Indian Knowledge.”
> “There’s no harm in touching natural mud. This is part of a scientific study being conducted in our college’s porta cabins,” Vatsala told PTI. She added that full research findings would be shared in a week and claimed some individuals were spreading misinformation without understanding the context.
From Research to Revolt: DUSU’s Cow Dung Counter-Protest
But not everyone was convinced. The video—which the principal reportedly shared herself in a college WhatsApp group—quickly went viral and triggered backlash from the student community. Delhi University Students’ Union (DUSU) President Ronak Khatri responded with a dramatic protest of his own: smearing cow dung on the walls of the principal’s office.
In the video of the protest, Khatri confronts faculty members, questioning the legitimacy and consent behind the initiative.
> “No consent was taken from students. If you want to do research, do it at home,” he said.
Khatri later took to X (formerly Twitter) stating sarcastically that he had “helped” the principal by bringing her office into the same “naturally cool” condition.
> “We believe madam will now remove her AC and hand it over to the students,” he wrote.
Debate Over Method and Mentality
While cow dung has been traditionally used on mud walls in rural areas for insulation and cooling, experts and citizens alike are questioning its application on cemented walls in an urban, educational setting. Many critics argue that the method is misplaced and lacks scientific rigor when not adapted to suitable building materials.
Educator and motivational speaker Vijender Chauhan took to social media with a pointed remark:
> “If you’re an employer and the applicant studied at a college led by someone who plasters cow dung on cement walls—what are the odds they’ll be hired?”
Context and History: Not the First Time
This isn’t the first time cow dung has been touted as a cooling agent. In 2023, a Madhya Pradesh doctor coated his car in dung to beat the summer heat. A Gujarat woman did the same in 2019, claiming it kept her car cool and reduced pollution.
Still, applying cow dung inside a cement-built college classroom takes the idea to new—and controversial—territory.
University Silent, Students Divided
The Delhi University administration has yet to release an official statement. Internally, the project is being described as an eco-conscious experiment amid Delhi’s rising temperatures. The initiative was reportedly focused on Block C of the college.
> “Those who have classes here will soon get these rooms in a new look. Efforts are being made to make your teaching experience pleasant,” the principal had written in the group message.
However, with student consent missing and the debate now stretching from social media to faculty halls, questions are being raised about the balance between tradition and scientific validation in academic institutions.
