This education minister believes cows exhale oxygen

Cows, much like any other animal, inhale oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide. It’s Science 101, and you would think everyone knows this. An education minister in India, however, seems to have his own theories.

Vasudev Devnani, the education minister of India's state of Rajasthan, believes cows breathe in and breathe out oxygen. According to Devnani, this makes cow an animal with "scientific significance", being the only of its kind to have this ability.

"There is a need to understand the scientific significance of the cow and ensure that the message reaches all people,” he is quoted as saying.

Cows hold much significance among several communities in India. It's considered sacred in the Hindu community, for instance.

Slaughtering of cows is banned in several Indian states including Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Bihar, Delhi, and Gujarat. Cow meat, too, is banned in most states across the country. This has been the subject of several violence activities in the country, with instances of people who ate beef or slaughtered cow being beaten to death.

There's an Indian right-wing Hindu nationalist organized called Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal, which has been working to safeguard protection of cows across India.

There’s also a belief among some that the urine of cow can treat diseases. There’s little to no scientific evidence to back any of these claims.

Fast-growing consumer products company Patanjali Ayurved this month introduced floor disinfectant made of cow urine. However, people don't seem to be buying Patanjali's claims.