“Ayurveda is a way of life while Allopathy is a curative,” Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi said at the valedictory session of the World Ayurveda Congress. His brief speech inspired the hundreds of Ayurveda practitioners to dedicate themselves more wholeheartedly to the popularisation of this form of medicine in an age seeing the domination of wrong lifestyles marked by wrong diets, absence of exercise and remoteness from spiritualism. The Prime Minister got huge cheers when he said, “There is nothing wrong with Ayurveda. The problem is with Ayurveda practitioners.” By this he meant that most practitioners of Ayurveda lack confidence in themselves and often advise patients to try Allopathy for quick results. He said that most people of India are not aware of the vast possibilities in Ayurveda. For this it is necessary for translating Ayurveda into a language that the world understood. Shri Modi said, “We need a movement to be initiated by physicians, students and teachers to gain global acceptance for Ayurveda. If we can get at least 10-20 percent of space in international medical journals for research in Ayurveda, it will attract the attention of the global science community. In my brief remarks, I pointed out that China, which has its own traditional medicine, has achieved world domination in the alternative pharmaceuticals market. Millions of people make a living out of traditional medicine there –not just as doctors but also as agriculturists of medicinal plants and as entrepreneurs, distributors, retailers and workers in the vibrant pharmaceuticals sector of China. Organising the first government-backed World Ayurveda Congress was my last duty as Minister for Health and Family Welfare. The next day, i.e. November 10, I was given charge as Minister for Science and Technology, a Ministry previously held by the Prime Minister himself. I thank Shri Modi for honouring me by giving me this vital Ministry which was headed by Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi, P.V. Narasimha Rao and Dr Murli Manohar Joshi. I will endeavour to infuse new energy into the research institutions of the government. One of my first activities would be to make the forthcoming 102nd session of the Indian Science Congress, the country’s oldest forum of scientists, a success. The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), which is the world’s largest network of public-funded R&D institutions, needs to be oriented to the Prime Minister’s “Make in India” programme. I will visit the institutions and talk to the scientists and other staff there to understand what can be done to make them more vibrant so that the outcomes of their research projects are more accepted by Indian industry. The Department of Earth Sciences, which is also my charge, is to play a significant role in developing India’s self-sufficiency in knowledge systems. “I will put research into better monsoon and weather prediction and all other activities into mission mode. The Department of Biotechnology’s activities are of special interest to the Minister as I am a medical professional. The need of the hour is robust research into disease prevention and cure using the most modern developments. Indian biotechnologists are considered one of the best in the world and are staffing the major research institutions abroad. It was time such talent was harnessed for development of India’s fight against the communicable and non-communicable disease burden.
Posted on: Thu, 13 Nov 2014 03:56:04 +0000
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