The 9th Ayurveda Day was celebrated by the CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) with an emphasis on the relevance of Ayurveda in contemporary healthcare. The event took place at the S.V. Marg Campus of CSIR-NIScPR and featured activities to promote awareness about Ayurveda’s potential in disease prevention and management.
The program began with a tree plantation drive, titled “Ek Ped Maa ke Naam,” aimed at fostering environmental consciousness alongside the event’s healthcare theme. The ceremony was inaugurated by Prof. Ranjana Aggarwal, Director of CSIR-NIScPR, who emphasized the importance of India’s ancient knowledge systems, particularly from the Vedic era. She referred to Nalanda and Takshashila, two renowned centers of learning from ancient India, underscoring their relevance even today.
Prof. Aggarwal also highlighted CSIR-NIScPR’s role in promoting India’s traditional knowledge through a national initiative called SVASTIK (Scientifically Validated Societal Traditional Knowledge). This initiative documents and disseminates case studies and stories about traditional practices, bringing awareness to their value in modern society.
The event’s guest speaker, Dr. Bhavana Prasher, Senior Principal Scientist from CSIR-IGIB, New Delhi, delivered a special lecture on “Ayurgenomics and Prakriti: Innovative Integration of Traditional Wisdom and Modern Science for Personalized Healthcare.” Dr. Prasher’s talk focused on how Ayurveda’s ancient principles could be combined with modern genomic science to develop personalized healthcare solutions.
Dr. Monika Jaggi, Principal Scientist at CSIR-NIScPR, introduced the guest speaker, while Dr. Suman Ray, another Principal Scientist, offered the vote of thanks, expressing gratitude to all attendees and participants.
A free health check-up camp was also organized during the event in collaboration with Dr. Shaizi Layeeq and her team from the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of AYUSH, New Delhi. As part of the health camp, Prakriti Parikshan, an Ayurvedic diagnostic procedure that assesses an individual’s constitution, was provided to attendees.
The event served not only to highlight the preventive and therapeutic potential of Ayurveda but also to showcase its contributions to India’s cultural heritage. CSIR-NIScPR’s efforts reflect the growing recognition of traditional knowledge systems in addressing modern healthcare challenges, demonstrating that integrating ancient wisdom with scientific research can offer innovative healthcare solutions.
(Input from various sources)
(Rehash/Ankur Deka/MSM)