Jaipur, Feb 9 (IANS) Rajasthan Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma said on Monday that Ayurveda has deep roots in the soil of Rajasthan and the state holds immense potential for the production of medicinal plants.
He said the state’s hills, forests, and rich biodiversity testify to Rajasthan’s centuries-old association with Ayurveda.
The state government, he added, is working on a priority basis to promote Ayurveda and encourage its wider adoption among the public.
The Chief Minister was addressing the Golden Jubilee celebrations of the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) at its Jaipur campus.
He said that the institute, which began as a college in 1976, has today emerged as a leading deemed-to-be Ayurveda university in the country.
“The national stature, prestige, and leadership achieved by the NIA over the last 50 years are a matter of pride for Rajasthan.”
The Chief Minister noted that the institute has established exemplary leadership in the four key pillars of education, training, research, and patient care.
Chief Minister Sharma said that Ayurveda and Yoga have played a significant role in establishing India as a global leader.
Ayurveda, he added, offers profound knowledge of seasonal diseases and their treatment.
“Alongside the Vedas, ancient sages understood human life through Ayurveda, which was systematised by great scholars such as Charaka, Sushruta, and Vagbhata.”
The Chief Minister recalled that the Charaka Samhita emphasises a healthy body as the foundation of righteous living, while Sushruta is revered worldwide as the father of surgery.
He said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Treatment in India and Treatment by India” has given new direction to traditional systems of medicine.
“The establishment of a separate Ministry of AYUSH has strengthened Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy,” he added.
Chief Minister Sharma said that the declaration of June 21 as International Yoga Day by the United Nations, through the Prime Minister’s efforts, has brought global recognition to Yoga and India’s traditional medical heritage.
“Investments in Ayurveda research have increased, and institutions in this field have been expanded.”
Chief Minister Sharma said that in recent years, the state government has expanded medical facilities by establishing new Ayurveda hospitals, colleges, and dispensaries.
“Undergraduate and postgraduate seats have been increased, modern laboratories and drug standardisation units strengthened, and teaching pharmacies upgraded.”
“Efforts are underway to integrate Ayurveda into the mainstream public health system through the expansion of hospitals, strengthening of Panchakarma units, modernisation of dispensaries, and enhanced opportunities for education and research,” the Chief Minister said.
He assured full cooperation in the allocation of land for expansion of the National Institute of Ayurveda in Jaipur.
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH and Health and Family Welfare, Prataprao Jadhav, said that the 50-year journey of the NIA represents the dedication and commitment of generations of doctors, researchers, and scholars who have kept the lamp of Ayurveda burning.
He added that lifestyle-related diseases such as diabetes and Vitamin B12 and D deficiencies are increasing, and Ayurveda and Yoga play an important role in their management.
Under Prime Minister Modi’s leadership, he said, the Union government aims not only to treat diseases but also to build a healthy, balanced, and empowered society.
Chief Minister Sharma thanked the Prime Minister for the budget announcements, including the establishment of three new All India Institutes of Ayurveda, and appreciated the work being done in Rajasthan under the Chief Minister’s leadership.
Deputy Chief Minister Prem Chand Bairwa said that the Ayushman Adarsh Gram Yojana is being implemented in the state to create healthy villages through Ayurveda and Yoga.
Calling Ayurveda and Yoga India’s gifts to the world, he noted that under the National AYUSH Mission action plan for 2025–26, Rajasthan has received the highest allocation in the country, amounting to Rs 348 crore.
On the occasion, the Chief Minister inaugurated the newly constructed OPD Sushruta Bhavan at the NIA campus and also visited an exhibition.
Legislators and other dignitaries were present at the event.
–IANS
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