Ayurveda is a traditional system of medicine that originated in India some 3,000 years ago. In India, Ayurveda is considered as a form of medical care, equal to conventional Western medicine, traditional Chinese medicine, naturopathic medicine and homeopathic medicine. After Narendra Modi government came to power, the Indian government established a dedicated Ayush Ministry in 2014 which is responsible for developing education, research and propagation of indigenous and alternative medicine systems in India.
GCTM coming up in India
Prime Minister Modi recently laid the foundation stone for the world's first WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Gujarat’s Jamnagar. GCTM will be the first and only global centre for traditional medicine across the world. It will emerge as an international hub of global wellness. A grand ground-breaking ceremony was held in Jamnagar in the presence of Mauritius PM Pravind Kumar Jugnauth, WHO Director General Dr Tedros Adhanom and ambassadors and high commissioners of 40 countries among other dignitaries. Video messages from the Prime Ministers of Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal and the President of Maldives were played on the occasion.
WHO chief Tedros thanked PM Modi for his leadership in providing all the support for the establishment of WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine in Jamnagar. Tedros termed GCTM as a truly global project as 107 WHO member countries have their country specific governmental offices which means the world will come to India for its leadership in traditional medicine. He said traditional medicines abound globally and GCTM will go a long way in bringing the promise of the traditional medicine to fruition. For many regions of the world traditional medicine is the first line of treatment.
Jugnauth thanked PM Modi for associating Mauritius with the occasion giving details of legislative recognition to Ayurveda in Mauritius. He also thanked Gujarat for providing scholarship to students from Mauritius for studying Ayurvedic medicine in Jamnagar.
During his speech PM Modi said “The GCTM is a recognition of India's contribution and potential in this field”. He further declared “India takes this partnership as a huge responsibility for serving the entire humanity.” Expressing happiness at the venue of the WHO Center, The Prime Minister said “Jamnagar’s contributions towards wellness will get a global identity with WHO’s Global Centre for Traditional Medicine.” He said that more than five decades ago the world’s first Ayurvedic University was established in Jamnagar. The city has a quality Ayurvedic Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda.
PM Modi invoked the Indian concept of ‘Vasudhaiv Kutumbkam’ and prayed for the whole world to always remain healthy. He said that with establishment of WHO-GCTM, this tradition will get further enriched.
Global push to Ayurveda
The ground-breaking ceremony was followed by a Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit 2022 at Gandhinagar. During the summit Modi declared that the government has a plethora of initiatives to encourage and promote the Ayush sector.
One of the initiatives is the introduction of the Ayush visa category in India for foreign nationals who want to come to India to take advantage of traditional medicine. Modi said that the government has been encouraging startups in the traditional medicine sector. Some days ago an incubation centre was inaugurated under the All India Institute of Ayurveda. The government is also encouraging production of herbal and medicinal plants and working speedily for an e-market place which is a portal that would connect companies making Ayush products with farmers growing medicinal plants.
‘Ayushmark’ is also being developed which will be stamped on products to give an assurance of high quality globally. The government has signed more than 50 MoUs in the past few years and is optimistic of a huge export market to open up in 150 countries across the globe.
Speaking on the effectiveness of traditional medicines, Modi cited an example of Rosemary Odinga, daughter of former Kenyan prime minister Raila Odinga, who was reportedly cured of blindness by Ayurveda treatment in Kerala. He said that ‘Atmanirbhar Bharat’ existed even in the time of Ramayana when “Hanuman brought herbs from the Himalayas for Lakshman when he fainted.”
