The Union Health Ministry's Department of Ayush and Vijnan Bharti will jointly conduct the 4th World Ayurveda Congress in the city from December 9 to 13. The aim is to promote Ayurveda and instil confidence among practitioners and to bring out the best of Ayurveda practice.
Giving details about the congress, S. Jalaja, Union Secretary for the Department of Ayush, told presspersons on Thursday that the congress, with the theme ‘Ayurveda for All' would bring together stakeholders in the sector from India and abroad.
Pointing out that it was “condemnable” that the Ayush system of medicine was yet to become popular in the country, which is known for traditional systems of medicine, Ms. Jalaja said the Union Government was fully committed towards mainstreaming and integrating the Ayush system in the national health programme.
Setting standards
She said the Ayush department was working towards setting up minimum standards for practitioners in the coming years. “Syllabi in Ayurveda colleges will be upgraded and strict entrance exams will be conducted.”
This congress is important because it is the largest so far in comparison to such events held previously in Kochi (2002), Pune (2006) and Jaipur (2008). “We expect around 4,000 delegates of which 300 are international delegates from 34 countries,” she said.
Students, ayurvedic practitioners, traditional healers, academics, research scientists, policy makers, industry, cultivators and collectors of medicinal plants, agricultural and forestry experts, international buyers and over 50,000 members of the society would converge over a period of five days in Bangalore, she said.
Ranjit Puranik, chairman of the expo, said pre-congress workshops on scientific writing, panchakarma, kshar karma, afforestation of medicinal plants, mental health and all matters pertaining to Ayurveda would be discussed at the meet.
The congress, to be held at Palace Grounds in the city, is being supported by the State Ayush Directorate, Director G.N. Sreekantaiah said.
