India is a repertoire for traditional systems of medicine and has met primary health care needs of millions. However, for globalization of such rich traditional knowledge base, well-researched indigenous natural products have to be manufactured using best practices. In order to leverage the efforts, the Ministry of AYUSH and Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology has entered into Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for inter-ministerial cooperation. The focus is on boosting innovative research on biotechnological intervention in AYUSH sector.
About the MoU
The MoU between Ministry of AYUSH and DBT is for mutual collaboration to explore the possibility of cooperation, convergence and synergy to have a biotechnological intervention in AYUSH sector and to have a platform for exchange of information between both the Ministry of AYUSH and DBT. The role of each party has been defined in the MoU. DBT will be responsible for undertaking the research on domestication, identification of elite and quality planting material of selected medicinal and aromatic plants and their mass multiplication etc. The Ecological Niche modelling developed by DBT on RET (rare, endangered and threatened) species of medicinal importance will be used by National Medicinal Plant Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH in conservation, augmentation, development and cultivation promotion of medicinal plants.
DBT would undertake R&D projects to validate AYUSH concepts and medicines and would play a major role in supply chain management of medicinal plants by developing technological intervention and DBT and NMPB can develop collaboration in implementation of DBT’s initiatives on Phytopharmaceutical Mission in North East Region. Ministry of AYUSH will help and guide DBT in taking already available research leads forward towards developing drugs in AYUSH mode. . This flagship synergistic approach would be taken-up in mission mode through networking with the elite institutions in the Country.