AYUSH ministry signs MoU with Amity University to promote Ayurveda research

Continuing with its policy of forging partnerships for promoting and developing the AYUSH systems of healthcare, the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) here under the AYUSH ministry has inked an MoU with the Amity University for promoting research in Ayurvedic sciences.

The memorandum of understanding (MoU) of the AIIA is with the Amity Institute of Indian System of Medicine, which was established in 2018 by the Amity University in recognition of the growing importance of the Indian system of medicine, the ministry said in a statement on Thursday.

The MoU envisages collaboration to ensure quality and standardisation of Ayurvedic drugs as well as in PhD programmes in natural product chemistry and pharmacy.

Studies in pharmaceutics, pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics have also been identified as potential areas for collaboration, the statement said, adding that the MoU will lead to joint projects and publications as well.

The partnership is expected to result in some cutting-edge research in Ayurveda as well as in the promotion and spread of knowledge associated with Ayurvedic Sciences across the globe. It will integrate traditional knowledge with modern sciences and add new dimensions to research in Ayurveda.

The Ministry of AYUSH plays a big role in introducing and promoting the Indian system of medicine globally in the current COVID-19 pandemic scenario, the statement said.

Ayurveda has made a mark by providing prophylactic solutions, the viability of many of which has been established through scientific studies, it added.

"The ministry has accepted the need for forging partnerships with like-minded and stake-holding institutions for increasing the depth and scope of the AYUSH health solutions that are available to the public," the statement said.

It has also consciously encouraged public-private partnerships (PPPs) as a strategy to augment the inflow of resources into the Ayush sector. The current MoU is an outcome of this approach.

"The two institutions will work together for evolving knowledge and procedures, which will be of use to the national healthcare system and ultimately, to health solutions that will be of relevance at a population scale," the statement said.