Goa, April 14 -- A video showing Laxmibai College Principal Pratyush Vatsala applying cow dung to classroom walls has gone viral, triggering widespread online backlash. The footage, reportedly shared by the principal herself in a teachers' WhatsApp group, shows her coating walls in C Block of the Delhi University college using the traditional material, assisted by staff members.

Responding to the controversy, Vatsala said that the activity is part of an ongoing research project titled "Study of Heat Stress Control by Using Traditional Indian Knowledge." The study, led by a faculty member, is being conducted in porta cabins, and the principal claimed there was no harm in using natural substances like mud or cow dung.

"The research is und...