India, Jan. 5 -- I have had a few occasions to visit the Christian Medical College in Ludhiana, once at the invitation of the management to deliver the Christmas message. Those visits left a deep impression on me-not merely because of the warmth of the community or the quiet discipline of the campus, but because that institution embodies something precious and increasingly contested in India: the marriage of faith, reason and modern science.

CMC Ludhiana also happens to be where my niece Jisha did her MBBS. On one of my visits, while she was still a student, I wandered past the notice board where examination results were displayed. Like any proud uncle, I scanned the sheets with interest. Jisha was at or near the top in most subjects. Bu...