National Ayurveda Day: Narendra Modi to virtually inaugurate two Ayurveda institutes in Jaipur, Jamnagar

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi will dedicate two future-ready Ayurveda institutions — the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA), Jamnagar and the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA) Jaipur — to the nation on the occasion of the 5th Ayurveda Day on Friday, the AYUSH ministry said.Both the institutes are premier institutions of Ayurveda in the country. The former has been conferred the status of an Institution of National Importance (INI) by an Act of Parliament and the latter that of an Institution Deemed to be University (De novo Category) by the University Grants Commission (UGC), the ministry said.The Ministry of AYUSH, since 2016, has been observing the "Ayurveda Day" every year on the occasion of Dhanwantari Jayanti (Dhanteras). This year, it falls on Friday.Considering the prevailing situation of COVID-19, the 5th Ayurveda Day, 2020 is being observed largely on virtual platforms at national and international levels.The ITRA, Jamnagar, recently created through an Act of Parliament, is poised to emerge as a world-class healthcare institution. It has 12 departments, three clinical laboratories and three research laboratories, the ministry said.It is also a leader in research work in traditional medicine, conducting 33 research projects currently. The ITRA has been formed by conglomerating the cluster of four Ayurveda institutes on the Gujarat Ayurveda University campus, Jamnagar. It is the first institute in the Ayush sector to be accorded the INI status.With the upgraded status, the ITRA will have the autonomy to upgrade the standard of Ayurveda education as it would offer courses in accordance with modern, international standards. Further, it will forge inter-disciplinary collaborations to give a contemporary thrust to Ayurveda.The NIA Jaipur, an Ayurveda institution with a countrywide repute, got a shot in the arm with the Deemed to be University status. Inheritor of a 175-year legacy, the NIA's contribution to preserving, promoting and advancing authentic Ayurveda in the last few decades has been significant, the statement said.Presently, it has 14 different departments. The institute has a very good student-teacher ratio with a total intake of 955 students and 75 faculties in 2019-20. It runs numerous courses in Ayurveda, ranging from certificate to doctoral level. With state-of-the-art laboratory facilities, the NIA has also been a pioneer in research activities.At present, it conducts 54 different research projects. With the conferring of the Deemed to be University status, the NIA is set to reach new heights by achieving the highest standards in tertiary healthcare, education and research, the statement added.