Guwahati: The BJP led Union government in New Delhi has expressed its willingness to open new Ayush colleges in the north-eastern region (NE) so that the traditional medicine systems of Bharat can only be popularised by making more and more qualified practitioners, said Union Ayush minister Sarbananda Sonowal.
Presently the entire region has only one Ayush college (at Jalukbari near Gauhati University) and so there is space for more such teaching colleges, commented Sonowal adding that the Centre has already enhanced financial aids from rupees 9 to 70 crores to concerned State governments for opening new Ayush colleges under the National Ayush Mission.
Addressing a conference with the theme ‘Diverse and Fulfilling Career Paths in Ayush Systems: Education, Entrepreneurship & Employment Focus on the Northeastern States’ in the city on Saturday, Sonowal informed that his ministry also accorded in-principle approval for upgrading the Jalukbari Ayurvedic college as the centre of excellence with the support of rupees 10 crore.
Sonowal, in presence of Assam health minister Keshav Mahanta, also announced the starting of a Panchkarma technician course affiliated to the health sector skill council under national skill development corporation at Central Ayurveda Research Institute in Guwahati with 10 seats for 10+2 students to produce skilled manpower for Panchkarma therapy in the region and enhance the employment opportunities too.
“Career opportunities in the Ayush sector for professionals of all disciplines have increased dramatically during recent years. Moreover, consequent to these efforts, faith in the Ayush ecosystem has been restored among communities worldwide,” stated Sonowal adding that Ayush has a great potential to cater to a large number of healthcare needs of people and contribute to the growth and development of Bharat.
The ministry had earlier this month successfully held a landmark conference of Ayush ministers of all north-eastern States and deliberated upon the developing the infrastructure for popularizing Ayush stream in the region. Saturday’s conference with around 250 participants including the officials from the concerned ministry and research institutions was the next step with experts discussing the education and career opportunities in the Ayush sector. Various presentations and lectures were given by Vaidya Jayant Yeshwant Deopujari (chairperson of National Commission for Indian System of Medicine), Prof Sanjeev Sharma (director of National Institute of Ayurveda Jaipur), Dr N Srikanth (director general of
CCRAS New Delhi), Indrani Mahto (manager of Start-up India under the promotion of industry and internal trade department), Dr Subhas Singh (director of NIH Kolkata), Dr Tarkeshwar Jain (secretary of NCH New Delhi), Dr Subhash Chaudhary (NIH Kolkata), etc.
Prof Asim Ali Khan (director general, CCRUM New Delhi), Prof Dr K Kanakavalli (director general of CCRS Chennai), Dr Padma Gurmeet (director of NRIS Leh), Dr Raghvendra Rao (director of New Delhi based central council for research in Yoga and Naturopathy), etc also spoke on the occasion, where a number of Ayush students and scholars from different parts of the region were also present.
