BS RAWAT
NEW DELHI : The Ministry of AYUSH and the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, New Delhi, have inked an MoU for cooperation in research and education in areas of traditional systems of medicine and its integration with modern science.

Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH,  Dr. Shekhar C. Mande, Director General, CSIR, and Secretary, DSIR have signed the MoU in New Delhi.

“In due cognition of the growing interest of traditional medicines globally, there is a need of multipronged and innovative approaches for the acceptance of this science,” Vaidya Kotecha said.

The AYUSH secretary said that the combination of traditional healthcare and modern basic science has a vast possibility to do innovative and path-breaking researches that can be used for the explanation of various basic concepts.

DG, CSIR Dr Mande lauded the improved co-ordination between research institutes and Ministry of AYUSH.

“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 country’s involvements to this important sector, not only nationally but internationally as well,” Dr Mande stated.

The DG says, “Futuristic efforts of this inter-ministerial collaboration shall include pursuit of Data mining and analytics and Artificial Intelligence to enable and facilitate concepts such as traditional knowledge motivated drug discovery and development and food as drug.”