PM to inaugurate World Ayurveda Congress in Delhi

The Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare, Dr Harsh Vardhan releasing a brochure at the “Curtain-Raiser press conference for the 6th World Ayurveda Congress and Arogya Expo”, in New Delhi. Nilanjan Sanyal , Secretary, Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dr DC Katoch, Jt Advisor, Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, AP Frank Noronha, Director General (M&C), Press Information Bureau, and A Jaya Kumar, Secretary General, World Ayurveda Foundation are also seen.

The sixth edition of World Ayurveda Congress (WAC) will be held at Pragati Maidan exhibition centre in New Delhi from November 6-9. The four-day event, will witness a congregation of over 4,000 delegates, industry leaders, health ministers, Ayurveda practitioners, traditional healers, educationists, students, scientists, drug manufacturers, growers of medicinal plants and marketing strategists, from across the world. Around 200 international delegates will participate from over 30 countries, such as Sri Lanka, Germany, the US, Italy, Singapore, Australia, Russia and Argentina.

On November 7, the Prime Minister Narendra Modi will formally inaugurate the WAC, whose focal theme is ‘Ayurveda and Health Challenges’. The event will be organised by Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India in collaboration with World Ayurveda Foundation and the Delhi government. An Arogya Expo will be an important component.

Giving details of the event, Dr Harsh Vardhan, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare and Chief Patron of Organising Committee of the 6th WAC, said that the conclave would provide an opportunity to propagate the efficacy of Ayurveda and its wellness quotient to the international community on a wider scale. The ministry has extended invites to all parliamentarians, Union Ministers, State Health Ministers and over 20 Health Ministers from overseas.

“Over the next couple of years, I wish to make the WAC as popular as the India International Trade Fair, which is also held at Pragati Maidan. Through this, the new generation of Indians would learn more of the country’s proud history as the birthplace of modern medicine,” he noted.

Vardhan said an All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) is coming up at Jasola in the national capital. It will admit the first batch of post-graduate students during 2015-16. “I would like to see this develop into an institution comparable to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, an AIIMS for Ayurveda.”

In all, 750 scientific papers will be presented by scientists from India and abroad. A distinctive feature of the Congress is that Health Ministers of several countries will be rubbing shoulders with their counterparts of the state governments in India. There are seven Ayurveda universities and 270 Ayurveda colleges in India and their vice-chancellors and principals will also be participating in the brainstorming meet.

Five plenary lectures, 25 technical sessions, country presentations by health ministers of foreign countries (the first for a WAC), B2B meets, State Health Ministers’ Meet, Academia Researchers Conclave, Traditional Healers Meet, and an assembly of international delegates will be among the highlights of the Congress. A seminar on medicinal plants organised by National Medicinal Plants Board will be an additional attraction of the event.

Besides AYUSH, around 500 leading Ayurveda companies like Dabur; The Arya Vaidyasala, Kottakal; Shree Dhootapapeshwar, Baidyanath; Emami, Himalaya and Dhathri will set up stalls to showcase their products. Pharma Export Promotion Council (PHARMEXCIL) would be organising the Buyer-Seller Meet with over 50 international buyers from more than 20 countries being invited to meet with potential sellers from AYUSH industry in India.

Some of the associate events include workshop on ‘panchakarma’ at Arya Vaidyashala, traditional healers meet, workshop on Mriga (veterinary) Ayurveda, skill development workshops, AYUSH clinics, poster presentations and the Finals of Shree Dhootapapeshwar Jyotishmati All India Intercollegiate Ayurveda Quiz.

Nilanjan Sanyal, Secretary, Dept. of AYUSH, and Chairman, Organising Committee, 6th WAC, said that it is the biggest platform for the national and international scientists to present their Ayurveda-related work before experts, teachers and students.

EP News Bureau – Mumbai