Poshan Vatikas being set up across country to provide affordable access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and herbs

Under various interventions taken up by the Ministry of Women and Child Development jointly with Ministry of Ayush, close to 4.37 lakh Anganwadi Centres have set up Poshan Vatikas. Additionally, so far, 1.10 lakh medicinal saplings have also been planted across some of the selected districts of 6 States.

Under ongoing Poshan Maah 2022, activities for setting-up nutri-gardens or retro-fitting Poshan Vatikas with backyard poultry / fishery units is being carried out in a big way across the country.

So far, more than 1.5 lakh events on retrofitting Poshan Vatikas with backyard poultry and fishery units have been reported. Also, more than 75 thousand sensitization camps have been conducted to promote millets and backyard kitchen gardens. Interestingly, to replicate the model of Poshan Vatikas at/around new AWCs, close to 40 thousand land identification drives for nutri-gardens/Poshan Vatikas have also been reported under Poshan Maah so far.

Poshan Vatikas

Poshan Vatikas or Nutri- gardens being set up across the country to provide easy and affordable access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and herbs.

Launched on 8th March, 2018, by the Hon’ble Prime Minister, POSHAN Abhiyaan aims to improve nutritional outcomes for children, adolescents, pregnant women & lactating mothers.  The Abhiyaan is a key component of Mission Poshan 2.0 which seeks to address the challenges of malnutrition in children, adolescent girls, pregnant women and lactating mothers through a strategic shift in nutrition content and delivery and by creation of a convergent eco-system to develop and promote practices that nurture health, wellness and immunity.

A key plank of the goal to enable the right kind of nourishment are the Poshan Vatikas or Nutri-gardens that are being set up across the country to provide easy and affordable access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and herbs.  The idea is simple; to provide a fresh and regular supply of locally produced fruits, vegetables and medicinal plants to women and children straight from a nutri-garden at or near an Anganwadi Centre.

Poshan Vatikas

Poshan Vatikas or Nutri- gardens being set up across the country to provide easy and affordable access to fruits, vegetables, medicinal plants and herbs.

Poshan Vatikas can play an important role in enhancing dietary diversity by providing key micronutrients through local fruits and vegetables. Poshan Vatikas are a good example of convergent action on-ground. Beyond the reward of locally available wholesome produce, it will reduce external dependency and make communities atmanirbhar for their nutritional security.

Last Date of Nomination for AYUSH Medical Seats Extended to July 31, 2017

The Ministry of AYUSH has extended the last date for application to several seats for MD/PG in Ayurveda/Unani/Siddha and Homoeopathy Courses under Central Government Nomination (CGN) as per guidelines for the academic session 2017-18 from the eligible Government Teachers/Medical Officers (Doctors)/Research Officers.

These applications were invited through the concerned State /UT Governments up to 15.06.2017 and 30.06.2017 (NER). In view of administrative reasons, the ministry said it has decided to extend the last date for receiving through the concerned State Governments/UTs up to 31st July, 2017.

There are total 626 AYUSH Colleges in the country and two National Institutes to impart education in Ayurveda namely (i) National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur for Under-graduate and Post-graduate education and (ii) Institute of Post-Graduate Training and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar for Post-graduate education.

In addition the Government has established two new Ayurveda institutes during the academic session 2016-17 namely (i) All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi for Post-graduate education and (ii) North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Homoeopathy, Shillong for Under-graduate education in Ayurveda.

Currently, India has five Central Councils for Research in Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga and Naturopathy and Homoeopathy for undertaking, coordinating, formulating, developing and promoting research on scientific lines, through 82 peripheral institute/Centres/Units located all over India and also through collaborative studies with various universities, hospitals and institutes.

The research activities of the councils include medicinal plant research (Medico-ethno botanical survey, pharmacognosy and tissue culture), Drug Standardization Pharmacological Research, Clinical Research, Literary Research & Documentation, and other outreach activities. Further, Ministry of AYUSH runs Extra Mural Research (EMR) scheme to conduct the research on various aspects of AYUSH systems.

The Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM) was announced on 29th September 2014 for better access to AYUSH services such as strengthening of AYUSH educational institutions, facilitate the enforcement of quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs and sustainable availability of raw materials by promotion of medicinal plants in the States/UTs.

 

204 Patents Issued So Far in Ayurvedic Formulations; AYUSH Ministry Pushes for Global Tie Ups

Ayush ministry is collaborating with International Agencies in its quest for promotion of cooperation in the field of medicinal plants, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with University of West Indies, Trinidad & Tobago in 2014.

To give further impetus to the promotion of international cooperation in the field of Medicinal plants, the NMPB has since revised its “Central Sector Scheme on Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants, 2015”, by including a component on “Bilateral / International cooperation and collaboration with International Agencies”.

The salient features of Delhi Declaration on Traditional Medicines for South East Asian countries are follows:-

I.To promote National policies, strategies and interventions for equitable development and appropriate use of traditional medicine in the health care delivery system.
II. To develop institutionalized mechanism for exchange of information, expertise and knowledge with active cooperation with WHO on traditional medicine through workshops, symposia, visit of experts, exchange of literature etc.
III. To establish regional centers as required for capacity building and networking in the areas of traditional medicine and medicinal plants.

The Ministry of AYUSH has already set up Ayurveda Chair in University of Debrecen, Hungary and Rangsit University, Thailand.

Accordng to the Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (DIPP), 204 Patents have since been granted on formulations/ processes/ products of herbs / plants, on inventions that satisfy the patentability criteria as laid out in the Patents Act, 1970.

As per the Patents Act 1970 (as amended), patents can be imparted only to new formulations based on products related to herbs/ plants or processes related thereto, which are not in public domain and fulfill the criteria of patentability.

Though Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules 1945, does not have any provision for registration of Ayurvedic formulations, to protect Traditional Medicinal Knowledge of India, the Ministry of AYUSH has created Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) in collaboration with Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR) for digitalization of traditional medicinal knowledge.

More than 3 lakh formulations from the texts of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha Systems have been digitalized till date under TKDL to protect Traditional Knowledge from misappropriation by providing defensive protection.

This information was given by the Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, ShripadYesso Naik in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha.