"Today, in the West, Astrology is considered as a pseudo-science, but no one has discovered the seven planets creating time for us. Why are we naming the days after the planets? There are many fundamental questions about Astrology and its relevance, although they have not been answered", informs Dr Baskaran Pillai, an international Vedic expert who has researched Vedic Astrology for the past 40 years. Despite the Western world questioning its basis, popular polls (by Fox News and Pew Center) have shown that as many as '25 per cent of all Americans' and '23 per cent of all Christians' believe in Astrology.

The discovery of the 13th zodiac Ophiuchus too proved that your sign may not be what you think it is. But most people want to stick to the existing Zodiac with 12 fixed signs, even though it has been proven as unscientific. "This is because Astrology is not a material science, but a spiritual science. It is simply not mathematics or physics, and has persisted through millenniums captivating the awe and wonder about the galaxies and human existence. The spiritual science of Astrology is well-developed in India more than anywhere else in the world", shares Dr Baskaran Pillai, founder of Astroved, who is currently involved in starting the first Astrological University in India.

By recognising Astrology as part of the country's wisdom tradition and proclaiming it as a serious discipline worthy of being studied, the Supreme Court and the Government of India have backed the beliefs of the people. However, the biggest argument of the naysayers against Astrology is that the astrological claims have never been supported by any research conducted as per stringent scientific procedure.

Interestingly, for the very first time, a path-breaking study is being conducted in India to establish the relationship between the planets in Astrology and how they affect academic performance. This pioneering research is being done by Astroved which a leading service provider to individuals and corporates in the field of Vedic Sciences and Vedic Astrology.

PAP (Planets and Academic Performance) Research Project aims to objectively study the impact and relationship of planetary influences on individual students with regard to different academic disciplines. Qualified researchers in Astroved's R&D wing in Kancheepuram will be studying the influence of planets on the academic performance of atleast 50,000 students. They will collect empirical data to answer as to what planetary positioning makes a student score 'high level' (above 70 per cent), 'middle level' (below 70 per cent), or 'fail' (below 40 per cent) marks.

"For instance, if the planet Mercury is weak in a student's chart, then this will affect his scores in science and mathematics. We are going to go planet by planet, and see if the conventional astrological wisdom is true or not. Once we show this relationship using empirical evidence, we can find out which planet makes a student to achieve 'A' Grade versus the lowest grade. Then, we can provide them tools to change the planet's influence energetically", shares Dr S Chelvi, who is leading the unique project.

As a follow-up, the PAP Research Project intends to provide correctional programs, specific to each subject, to rectify the deficiencies in the students' learning skills. This will not only benefit the student community, but also reveal 'whether planets actually influence our lives'.