MoU signed between Ministry of AYUSH and CSIR for cooperation in research

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New Delhi : A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between the Ministry of AYUSH and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), New Delhi, on April 22, 2019, for cooperation in research and education in areas of traditional systems of medicine and its integration with modern science. The MoU was signed by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, and Dr Shekhar C Mande, Director General (DG), CSIR, and Secretary, DSIR, in the presence of senior officials from both the organisations.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary Kotecha stated that in view of  the growing interest in traditional medicine worldwide, there is a need of multipronged and innovative approaches for the acceptance of this science. He said that the combination of traditional healthcare and modern basic science has a huge possibility to do innovative and path-breaking researches which can be used for the explanation of various basic concepts.

DG, CSIR,  Mande, appreciated the ongoing projects and programmes between the two organisations. He stated that enhancing the collaboration through joint R&D efforts ranging from fundamental science to validation and thereafter product development, will significantly help in the growth of the Indian contributions to this important sector, not only nationally but internationally as well. Futuristic efforts of this inter-ministerial cooperation shall include pursuit of Data mining & analytics and Artificial Intelligence to enable and facilitate concepts such as “Traditional knowledge inspired drug discovery and development” and “Food as Medicine”.

Previously, CSIR jointly with Department of AYUSH (now Ministry) developed the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), a globally recognised proprietary database on Indian systems of medicine for preventing bio-piracy and misappropriation of our traditional knowledge. The constituent laboratories of CSIR and councils of the Ministry of AYUSH have also supported each other in the development of improved varieties and captive cultivation of the medicinal plants including rare, engendered and threatened (RET) species, Botanical Reference Standards and Pharmacopoeial standards, and Ayurgenomics, among many others, according to a PIB release.