National Ayurveda Day is annually observed across India to create awareness about the role of Ayurveda in the prevention and treatment of a wide range of health issues.
- The day is observed on Dhanwantri Jayanthi or Dhanteras, the festival celebrating Dhanvantari, the Hindu god of Ayurveda. The festival usually falls on the 13th day of Krishna Paksha in the month of Ashwin of the Hindu calendar.
The National Ayurveda Day 2024 falls on 29th October 2024. This marks the observance of the 9th National Ayurveda Day.
- National Ayurveda Day 2023 was observed on 10th November 2023 and National Ayurveda Day 2022 was observed on 23rd October 2022.
Note: The celebration of the National Ayurveda Day 2024 was organised by the Ministry of Ayush(Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homoeopathy) at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, Delhi.
Theme:
The National Ayurveda Day 2024 theme is “Ayurveda Innovations for Global Health.”
- The 2024 theme underscores the potential of Ayurveda’s contribution to the global health system through various innovative practice solutions.
- Under this theme, over 150 countries across the globe have joined the celebrations of National Ayurveda Day 2024.
Background:
i.In 2016, the Ministry of AYUSH announced the decision to celebrate the Dhanvantari Jayanthi as National Ayurveda Day to promote Ayurveda into the mainstream.
ii.The first-ever National Ayurveda Day was observed on 28th October 2016.
iii.The annual observance is supported by the Ministry of AYUSH and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations (ICCR).
About Ayurveda:
i.Ayurveda is an alternative medicine system with historical roots in the Indian subcontinent. It is a holistic approach to health designed to help people live long, healthy, balanced lives.
ii.The term ‘Ayurveda’ is derived from the Sanskrit words “ayus”, meaning life or lifespan, and “Veda”, meaning knowledge.
PM Modi Inaugurated Multiple projects worth Rs 12,850 crore
Narendra Modi, Prime Minister(PM) of India, inaugurated multiple projects worth over Rs 12,850 crore related to the health sector at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi(Delhi). This highlights the commitment of India towards promoting Ayurveda and accessible healthcare.
Centre of Excellence(CoEs):
i.PM Modi launched 4 Ayush Centres of Excellence(CoE)dedicated to advancing Ayurveda’s role in addressing modern health challenges and fostering sustainable healthcare solutions.
- CoE for diabetes and metabolic disorders at Indian Institute of Science, (IISc) Bengaluru, Karnataka.
- CoE in sustainable Ayush for advanced technological solutions, start-up support and net zero sustainable solutions for Rasaushadhies at Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, Delhi.
- CoE for fundamental and translational research in Ayurveda at Council of Scientific & Industrial Research-Central Drug Research Institute (CSIR-CDRI), Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh(UP)
- CoE on Ayurveda and Systems Medicine at Jawaharlal Nehru University(JNU), New Delhi.
ii.He also laid the foundation stone for 2 Central Research Institutes in Yoga and Naturopathy at Khordha(Odisha) and Raipur(Chhattisgarh).
- This will play a major role in bringing Ayurveda to the forefront of mainstream healthcare; enhancing research and clinical practice in traditional medicine; and highlighting Ayurveda’s unique role in India’s healthcare landscape.
iii.He also laid the foundation for 4 CoE at the National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education & Research (NIPER) Ahmedabad in Gujarat for medical devices, NIPER Hyderabad in Telangana for bulk drugs, NIPER Guwahati in Assam for phytopharmaceuticals, and NIPER Mohali in Punjab for anti-bacterial anti-viral drug discovery and development.
Inaugurations:
i.PM Modi inaugurated 3 medical colleges at Mandsaur, Neemuch and Seoni in Madhya Pradesh(MP).
ii.He also inaugurated the facility and service extensions at various All India Institute Of Medical Science (AIIMS) in Bilaspur in Himachal Pradesh(HP), Kalyani in West Bengal(WB), Patna in Bihar, Gorakhpur in UP, Bhopal in MP, Guwahati in Assam and in New Delhi.
iii.PM Modi inaugurated India’s biggest Jan Aushadhi Kendra at the AIIMS, New Delhi. This will provide affordable and quality medicines to the patients visiting AIIMS for the treatment of various ailments.
- This Kendra is spread over an area of 1,724 square feet. This will provide over 2,047 quality generic medicines and 300 surgical devices at prices significantly lower than their branded counterparts.
- The Jan Aushadhi Kendra has been set up by the Pharmaceuticals & Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI) which is the implementing agency of Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP).
iv.He also inaugurated the Super Speciality Block in Government Medical College at Bilaspur in Chhattisgarh and a Critical Care Block in Bargarh, Odisha.
v.PM also inaugurated the Central Drugs Testing Laboratory in Gothapatna in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Portals:
i.PM Modi launched the U-WIN portal to digitalise the vaccination process. This will benefit pregnant women and infants by ensuring the timely administration of life-saving vaccines to pregnant women and children (from birth to 16 years) against 12 vaccine-preventable diseases.
ii.PM also launched a portal for allied and healthcare professionals and institutes. This will be a centralised database of existing healthcare professionals and institutes.
Other Highlights:
i.Expansion of All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) with the inauguration of Phase-II. This includes a dedicated Panchakarma hospital, an Ayurvedic pharmacy, a sports medicine unit, a central library, an IT and start-ups incubation centre and a 500-seat auditorium.
ii.PM Modi also launched an expansion of health coverage to all senior citizens aged 70 years and above under the flagship scheme “Ayushman Bharat Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY)”.
- Everyone aged 70 or more will be entitled to a cover of Rs 5 lakh annually, shared within the family.
- PM – JAY was launched in 2018. Around 12.3 crore families of poor socio-economic status have been covered under the programme so far.
iii.PM Modi launched India’s first Government heli ambulance service through AIIMS Rishikesh, Uttarakhand. The service, available free of cost, will run on the lines of the 108 ambulance service.
iv.PM Modi launched “Desh Ka Prakriti Parikshan Abhiyan”, a nationwide campaign to raise health awareness among the citizens and the State specific Action Plan on Climate Change and Human Health for each state and Union Territory(UT), which provides a layout for adapting strategies for developing climate resilient healthcare services.
v.He also inaugurated 5 projects under the Production Linked Incentive (PLI) scheme for medical devices and bulk drugs at Vapi(Gujarat), Hyderabad(Telangana), Bengaluru(Karnataka), Kakinada(Andhra Pradesh, AP) and Nalagarh(HP).
- These units will manufacture high-end medical devices, such as body implants and critical care equipment, along with important bulk drugs.
CSIR-NIScPR Celebrated the 9th Ayurveda Day:
As a part of the celebration of the 9th Ayurveda Day, CSIR-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) organised an event highlighting the importance of Ayurveda in modern healthcare.
- CSIR-NIScPR is coordinating a national initiative called SVASTIK (Scientifically validated societal traditional knowledge) to bring out case studies and stories of Indian Traditional Knowledge and share those with society.
About the Ministry of AYUSH:
Minister of State (MoS)(Independent Charge, IC)- Jadhav Prataprao Ganpatrao (constituency- Buldhana, Maharashtra)
