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Piyush Goyal says he 'made a mistake' on Albert Einstein and gravity

The minister, who faced much trolling on social media for the mix-up, quoted Einstein to say that mistakes are not all that bad

Piyush Goyal will also meet his counterparts from Japan, Singapore, China, Indonesia, Australia, New Zealand, Philippines, Thailand, and Russia

Piyush Goyal, commerce and industry minister

Press Trust of India Mumbai

Union minister Piyush Goyal on Friday conceded that he committed a gaffe by crediting the discovery of gravity to Albert Einstein instead of Issac Newton.

The minister, who faced much trolling on social media for the mix-up, quoted Einstein to say that mistakes are not all that bad.

"Maths never helped Einstein discover gravity," Goyal had said while discussing the economy during a press conference on September 12.

Speaking at a function at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus here on Friday, the Union minister for commerce and railways said he made a mistake, and he admitted to it.

"We all get the opportunity to make mistakes. I said Einstein instead of Newton. The same Einstein had said, 'A person who never made a mistake, never tried anything new.'

"I am not someone who is afraid of making mistakes...the moment I realised my mistake, I made a clarification," the BJP leader said.

 

He said he was talking about the need to find innovative ways to build 5 trillion dollar economy in five years, of which exports would account for 20 per cent.

"Unfortunately, the context took a backseat and my inadvertent mistake was highlighted," he said.

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First Published: Sep 13 2019 | 8:15 PM IST

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