Ayush Ministry should set up online submission system for Ayush research proposals
The delay in setting up an online submission system for Ayush research proposals is preventing the research scholars from availing grants on time for selected proposals and forces them to stop their scientific studies on various diseases and treatments.
Several of the research works are being halted due to lack of timely funding and periodical reviews by the review committee of the department of Ayush, says one research scholar and ethno-pharmacologist, whose scientific study on a traditional metallic anti-cancer drug has been halted for the last two years.
The drug is claimed to be effective for treating skin cancer, according to Dr Arul Amuthan of Melaka Manipal Medical College in Karnataka, who began the study about ten years ago.
Talking to Pharmabiz about the problems faced by the researchers, Dr Amuthan said that in India the research grant is being channelized to the researchers through the Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Department of Science and Technology (DST), AICTE, UGC, ICMR and Ayush.
Other than Ayush, all other funding agencies have their own online proposal submission system by which any Indian research scholar can submit his/her proposals at any time of the year. The review committee reviews the proposals periodically and releases the grant for selected proposals. There is no deadline for submitting proposals also.
Whereas, in the case of Ayush, no system of online submission of proposals has been made so far. According to Ayush Ministry’s revised Extra Mural Research (EMR) scheme, the proposals received within a period of one year is reviewed quarterly (in March, June, September and December) by the review committee and approve proposals for grant of funds. This sluggish move of the Ayush ministry not only halts the scientific studies, but also discourages researchers to undertake new projects, he alleged.
During 2015, the four central councils have called for proposals for the first quarter hopefully to release the fund in the month of March. But till now, the first quarter review process was not completed and no fund was granted to any of the applicants, said Dr Amuthan.
He said the Central Councils have no interest to conduct the review process periodically and support research work. The victims of this lackadaisical attitude of Ayush are those who are waiting for approval for researches. So, government should expedite the review of proposals and set up online proposal submission system with tracking facility, he told Pharmabiz.
The department of Ayush has four research councils such as Central Council of Research in Ayurveda Sciences (CCRAS), Central Council of Research in Yoga and Naturopathy (CCRYN), Central Council of Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM) and Central Council of Research in Siddha (CCRS) to handle the researches in the respective medical systems.
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AYUSH Stands “A” for Ayurvedic,”Y” for YOGA, “U” for Unani,”S” for Siddha and “H” for Homeopathy. Homeopathy. The “naturopathy” is an after thought and is attempted to be a part of AYUSH.
Legal status of Systems are as
(i)Indian Medicine Central Council ACT-1970 govern ayurvedic & unani. But practice of YOGA and Diet as being supplementary as advisory in practice of treatment. (ii)Homoeopathy Central Council ACT-1973 governs Homeopathy in India.
(iii) Naturopathy has no legal approval and therefore it can not have at par status of other pathy.
The Central council for Ayurvedic,Unani & Siddha exist collectively,. Council of Ayurveda is doing their job for all. Homeopathy system is altogether forms a different treatment of approach and medicine. Further to be precise homeopathy system is not an Indian system in any respect of its origin or treatment process. It seems to be misfit in AYUSH.classification. Naturopathy Could be inducted by replacing Homeopathy from AYUSH. Thus AYUSH can have two deptt like Allopathy have MBBS and BDS two departments. So M/o AYUSH can have
i) AYUSN deptt (Ayurveda,YOGA,UNANI,Siddha and Naturopathy)
ii) Homeopathy deptt
Each discipline of Ministry of AYUSH must have their separate head discipline wise for proper growth, research,development and accountability of the respective system brought under the ministry of AYUSH,GOI.
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