AYUSH Ministry and RIS Collaborate to Advance Traditional Medicine
New Delhi: The Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy) and the Research and Information Systems for Developing Countries (RIS) have joined hands to bolster academic collaboration and research in the field of traditional medicine.
A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on Tuesday at AYUSH Bhawan paves the way for continued collaboration between the two entities. The MoU was signed by Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary of the Ministry of AYUSH, and Professor Sachin Chaturvedi, Director General of RIS.
Strengthening Research and Capacity Building:
This partnership aims to strengthen academic cooperation and collaboration for research, policy dialogue, and publications at the national, regional, and international levels. Additionally, it will focus on capacity building in the field of Indian traditional medicine.
The MoU also ensures the continuation of the Forum on Indian Traditional Medicine (FITM), an academic collaboration between AYUSH and RIS, an autonomous policy research institute under the Ministry of External Affairs.
Highlighting AYUSH Sector's Growth:
Speaking at the signing ceremony, Secretary Kotecha underlined the significant growth of the AYUSH sector. He cited a previous RIS report titled "AYUSH Sector in India: Prospects and Challenges," which found an eightfold increase in the AYUSH manufacturing sector over the past nine years.
Exploring Medical Tourism Potential:
Professor Chaturvedi, Director General of RIS, emphasized the potential of the AYUSH sector to become a hub for medical tourism, generating substantial foreign exchange. He highlighted RIS's active role in developing a roadmap to achieve this goal, emphasizing the crucial role of RIS in fulfilling the potential of AYUSH.
This collaboration signifies a significant step towards advancing research, capacity building, and promoting the potential of India's traditional medicine systems on the national and international stage.
