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Launch of Centre of Excellence in Ayurveda for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders
29-10-2024
Venue - Indian Institute of Science, Bengaluru
On the occasion of Dhanwantri Jayanti, the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, celebrated the 9th Ayurveda Day. Commemorating the rich heritage of Ayurveda and its integrative potential with modern medicine, the Ministry launched Four Centres of Excellence (CoE) across India. Inaugurated by Honorable Prime Minister Narendra Modi, these centres pave the way forward to innovative yet rooted solutions to diverse contemporary medical issues. The Indian Institute of Science (IISc) as the Principal Investigator and the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Samatvam and Prayoga Institute of Education Research was distinguished as the institutional partners in this endeavour. Together, they are poised to harness the potential of Ayurveda to treat Diabetes and other Metabolic Disorders.
This moment was a milestone in Prayoga’ s journey of expanding the horizons of impactful and innovative scientific research.
The event commenced with the leaders from the partnering institutes reiterating shared commitment to integrating Ayurvedic knowledge with modern medicine in pursuit of advancing global healthcare. Prayoga’s leadership comprising Dr. H S Nagaraja (Founder & Chief Mentor), Shri. Vallish Herur (Managing Trustee) and Dr. K S Nagabhushana (Director, Research) extended their felicitations to Prof. Navakantha Bhat (Professor, Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), IISc, & Principal Investigator, CoE), Dr. Sona Rajakumari, (Assistant Professor, Developmental Biology and Genetics, IISc & Co - Principal Investigator, CoE) and Prof. P R Krishnaswamy (Member of Advisory Board, Prayoga), Dr. S Srikanta (Founder & Managing Trustee, Samatvam).
The establishment of this Centre of Excellence, uniting these four esteemed partnering institutes is a one-of-its-kind consortia model. Each institute puts its best foot forward be it in terms of resources and academic expertise to create a formidable collaboration for an impactful outcome.
IISc brings to the table its acumen in cell line and animal model studies and Prayoga for its part, augments collective capacity in the scientific validation of rasayanas in Ayurvedic formulations. Samatvam, renowned for its expertise in Diabetes Care & Management and CARI, a pioneer in Ayurvedic treatment are also key associates in this effort.
Prayoga is the outcome of an individual’s commitment to nation-building - a private initiative for a public cause. Dr. H S Nagaraja, Founder & Chief Mentor of the institute is ably supported by a team of committed Trustee members and an Advisory Board comprising eminent scientists and stalwarts in their respective fields, the chairperson of the team being Justice Dr. M N Venkatachalaiah, Former CJI, Supreme Court of India. With a mission to elevate scientific inquiry, Prayoga has established multiple avenues for science learning across educational stages.
Kriya, one of the core programs at the institute, seeks to enable the experiential learning of science for students between grades 6-10. It heralds a movement to cultivate critical inquiry and scientific thinking amongst students of science - a departure from the heyday of memorization of facts and rote-learning of concepts. Kriya brings in a new dawn of active and curiosity-based classrooms that set the precedent for learning systems in the country. To further the spirit of cultivating a research mindset amongst young students between grades 9-12, is Prayoga’s Anveshana program. Through its study of research as a pedagogy, it also ushers students into a distinct and dynamic approach to science learning. Likewise, the program offers a unique avenue for undergraduate and postgraduate students to pursue vocational skills training in the Sustainable Materials domain with the support of a selected industry partner.
Prayoga is engaged in seeking to be recognized as a partnering research centre with Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), to build capacity in guiding eligible doctoral candidates at Prayoga. This will pave the way towards rigorous and wide-ranging research efforts and directions at the institute through both PhD candidates and the existing post-doctoral researchers. The positions available at Prayoga for both categories of researchers promise a wide canvas upon which to ideate and execute innovative research projects.
As is evident, therefore, Prayoga bolsters the cause of science education and research at multiple levels of engagement. Prayoga’s own cohort of researchers are a collective font of experience and expertise, robustly steering research in their domain toward new frontiers. The Sophisticated Instrumentation Facility at the campus complements their transformative ideation - it is the catalyst that drives their research output.
Remarking on the confluence of scientific minds and vision at the Center of Excellence, Prof. Navakantha Bhat applauded the initiative, a harbinger of scientific progress through focused efforts to enhance the quality of science education and explore further vistas across thematic areas. He further commended Prayoga Institute of Education Research for its exceptional research team and initiatives. He sees tremendous potential in the upcoming longitudinal project spanning two years that aims for holistic outcomes in the field of healthcare.
Dr. Sulochana Bhat, Assistant Director, CARI, expressed her delight at the launch of the program, highlighting its potential to raise public awareness about diabetes, a disorder that continues to plague standards of living across the country. Optimistic about the future collaboration with Prayoga, she conveyed her eagerness to work with a dynamic, emerging institution with a fresh perspective on education reform and policy.
Dr. K S Nagabhushana, Director - Research at Prayoga also shared his insights on the management of diabetes through the use of Ayurvedic materials and rasayanas. “Ayurveda, with its millenia-old antecedents has evolved significantly in response to the needs of modern medicine. Yet its prolific knowledge remains untapped; it is imperative that we invest dedicated effort to harness this reservoir of wisdom to evolve novel solutions to complex and seemingly intractable medical issues, “ he emphasized. Robust collaboration across institutes and diverse fields is essential to accelerate R&D and commercialization of Ayurvedic formulations. Critical attention must be paid to make-or-break details such as batch-to-batch variations that can impact quality and safety standards,” he added.
The platform and the players are primed for the road ahead. All that remain are the trails to be blazed.
Media Coverage -
Dr. K S Nagabhushana’s interview with Deccan Herald - https://www.deccanherald.com//india/karnataka/bengaluru/work-to-validate-efficacy-of-two-diabetes-formulations-to-begin-soon-at-iisc-centre-3265484
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