| Source: http://www.biospectrumasia.com/ | |||
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New Delhi, Apr 24, 2012:
In order to overcome the lack of basic research in ayurvedic biology,
the Department of Science and Technology (DST), Ministry of Science and
Technology, has constituted a task force under the chairmanship of Dr MS
Valiathan, national research professor, Manipal University. The
objective is to promote the application of basic sciences in the
investigation of ayurvedic concepts, procedures and products, and
nurture the discipline of ayurvedic biology.
The program on ayurvedic biology was
initiated primarily by the office of the principal scientific advisor to
the government of India, Prof P Chidambararm. The program, now
re-conceived, is being implemented by the DST. The program steered by a
task force will promote high quality research which would lead to major
contributions to scientific knowledge and which could have implications
for improving the standards of health care. The investigative work in
this program will necessarily involve the full participation of
scientists and ayurvedic experts who would be part of established
institutions of science, medicine, and ayurveda in India.
The concepts of body constitution,
digestive process of food in the gut and substrates in tissues,
rejuvenation, body adaptation to seasons, degradation of habitat by
human conduct, and taste as a chemical indicator are examples of the
rich collection of cues that ayurveda provides for the modern
investigator. But the research in ayurveda has been dominated by studies
on medicinal plants and the development of herbal drugs, which has a
large market growing at 15 percent per year. The basic research which
employs modern biology, immunology, and chemistry to investigate the
concepts, procedures, and products has received little attention. This
gap calls out for correction lest the absence of basic studies according
to modern scientific protocols should lead to ayurveda being regarded
as a form of “herbal therapy” as was done by the Walton Committee in the
UK.
The DST through its call to potential
researchers has encouraged the individual or groups of scientists,
physicians and ayurvedic experts to submit project proposals on any
interesting aspect of ayurvedic concepts, procedures, or products, which
would lend themselves to investigation by modern scientific protocols.
However, proposed study should involve active participation by
scientific and ayurvedic institutions and all project proposals as per
DST should conform to its format for ayurvedic biology.
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