Story highlights India's government is launching a steering committee to investigate the role of cow urine in curing disease

Cows are sacred in the Hindu-majority country and many believe cow urine has anti-viral properties

New Delhi, India (CNN) Can cow urine cure cancer? India's government is creating a steering committee to answer that question, among others.

Housed at the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, the committee will review research proposals about cows and recommend them for funding to the Ministry of Science and Technology. The aim is to create a national coordinated effort on cow-related research.

One of its first proposals is to investigate the effects of cow urine on diseases ranging from cancer to dengue, said Dr Kavya Dashora, a committee coordinator.

"It's established the world over that the urine of cows has antiviral properties," said Dashora, who is also an associate professor with the Center for Rural Development and Technology at IIT Delhi. "We just need to scientifically validate it."

"It's a part of our culture, [but] just because it's a part of our culture doesn't mean we can consume it blindly," she added.

Read More