Two significant Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) were signed today by the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of Ayush, Government of India in the presence of Union Minister of State of Ayush (Independent Charge) and Minister of State for Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi.

The first MoU was signed between the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) and IshVed-Bioplants Venture, Pune, Maharashtra, and the second tripartite MoU was signed among National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), New Delhi.

Speaking on the occasion, Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav said, “The vision of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi to build a healthier and self-reliant India by 2047 guides our efforts today. I congratulate all the institutions involved in signing these important MoUs, which represent a significant milestone in conserving and promoting India’s rich medicinal plant heritage. By integrating traditional knowledge with modern science, we are making meaningful progress toward realizing this ambitious vision.”

The purpose behind signing of these two MoU’s is:

MoU 1 between NMPB and IshVed-Bioplants Venture

To conserve and maintain the germplasm of rare, endangered and threatened (RET) medicinal plants through tissue culture methods.

This will bring better value to the stakeholders through development of tissue culture methods and their extensive cultivation and maintenance protocols to facilitate the supply of medicinal plants in the rare, endangered, and threatened (RET) category used in Ayush industry, in order to preserve and maintain the germplasm of these medicinal plants, so that. So that the supply of these medicinal plants can be made accessible. Wherein, both the parties identify common areas of cooperation to harness their respective expertise and resources for development and benefit of medicinal plant sector and the Ayush industry.

MoU 2 among NMPB, AIIA, and AIIMS

For the establishment of a national level medicinal plants garden in the premises of All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, through the All India Institute of Ayurveda to spread public awareness about medicinal plants, sharing knowledge and expertise of all the parties.

This will develop public awareness about the medicinal plants among patients and students who come from distant areas and will also benefit the visitors in the hospital premises.

Both MoUs mark a milestone in the Ministry of Ayush’s continued efforts to promote evidence-based conservation, research, and public engagement in the medicinal plants sector.

The event was graced by Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush; Shri M. Srinivas, Director, AIIMS New Delhi; and Smt. Ankita Mishra Bundela, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare. Senior officials from the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), AIIMS New Delhi, and the Ministry were also present on the occasion.

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MV/GS