A Note on the Status of Ayurvedic and Herbal Studies in India

 

Amritpal Singh

Herbal Consultant

 Ind-Swift Ltd, Chandigarh

 

 

Ayurvedic Education in India

 

Ayurveda is taught at two levels in Indian institutes:

 

    A. Undergraduate

    B. Postgraduate

 

Duration of undergraduate studies is five and half-years. It includes five years of intensive studies and six-month clinical internship program. For getting admission in Ayurvedic College, the student has to pass common entrance test after plus two. Before introduction of common entrance test, the Pre-Ayurveda course was available in colleges. Here study of subjects like Chemistry, Sanskrit, Botany and Zoology were integral part of Pre-Ayurveda curriculum. Degree awarded was Graduate of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (G.A.M.S).

 

After the introduction of the common entrance test, the name of the degree undergraduate of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (G.A.M.S) was changed to Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (B.A.M.S). The graduates have to register themselves with state Ayurvedic and Unani Councils. Central Council of Indian Medicine (C.C.I.M) is apex body governing rules and regulations related to Ayurveda in India. Most of the practitioners of Ayurveda opt for allopathic practice after graduate studies.

 

A postgraduate study in Ayurveda is three-year course. After completion of postgraduate studies, Vaidya Vachaspati (equivalent to MD) is concerned discipline is awarded. Postgraduate studies are available in following disciplines:

 

1.           Agadtantra (Toxicology)

2.           Ayurved Siddhant  & Darshana (Fundamental principles)

3.           Bhaishjyakalpna (Ayurvedic pharmaceutics)

4.           Dravyaguna (Medicinal Plant Pharmacology)

5.           Kaumarbhritta (Pediatrics)

6.           Kayachikitsa (Internal Medicine)

7.           Manas Roga (Psychiatry))

8.           Panchkarma

9.           Prasuti & Striroga (Obstetrics and Gynecology)

10.       Rachna Sharir (Human Anatomy)

11.       Ras-Shastra (Indiana alchemy or latrochemistry)

12.       Rog Nidan (Clinical-diagnosis)

13.       Samhita (Ancient texts)

14.       Shalakya (Ear, nose and throat)

15.       Shalya (Surgery)

16.       Swasthavritta (Hygiene)

 

Ayurvedic postgraduates opt for teaching profession or join industry as consultants. Some of them opt for clinical practice. These days subjects like Dravyaguna and Bhaishjyakalpna are in great demand particularly from industrial point of view. For postgraduates, further options are available for PhD studies. Person holding PhD in Ayurveda is known as Ayurvedavaridhi.

 

Following is exhaustive list of Ayurvedic colleges providing education at graduate and postgraduate levels in India:

 

 

S. no

State

Number of colleges

1.

Andhra Pradesh

5

2.

Assam

1

3.

Bihar

11

4.

Chandigarh

1

5.

Chattisgarh

3

6.

Delhi

1

7.

Goa

1

8.

Gujarat

5

9.

Haryana

6

10.

Himachal Pradesh

1

11.

Jammu & Kashmir

1

12.

Jharkhand

1

13.

Karnataka

52

14.

Kerala

13

15.

Madhya Pradesh

13

16.

Maharashtra

56

17.

Orrisa

6

18.

Punjab

6

19.

Rajasthan

5

20.

Tamilnadu

6

21.

Uttaranchal

4

22.

Uttar Pradesh

15

23.

West Bengal

3

 

Table 1: List of number of Ayurvedic colleges in India (state wise)

 

 

 

 

 

Compounder training course in Ayurveda

 

A person trained in dispensing Ayurvedic medicine is known as upvaid. Now days the course is known as Compounder training course in Ayurveda.

 

 

S. no

State

Number of college/ institute/hospital

1.

Andhra Pradesh

Dr. B.R.K.R. Ayurvedic Hospital Hyderabad

2.

Andhra Pradesh

A.L. Govt. Ayurvedic College Waranga

3.

Andhra Pradesh

Dr. N.R.S. Govt. Ayurvedic College, Mahatma Gandhi  Road, Vijaywada

4.

Chattisgarh

Manjusha Shri Education Society Ayurveda Compounder Training Center,                 Sunder Nagar, Raipur

5.

Himachal Pradesh

Ayurveda Pharmacists Training Centre, Yogendar Nagar  Distt. Mandi

6.

Madhya Pradesh

Govt. Dhanvantri Ayurvedic College, Ujjain

 

7.

Madhya Pradesh

Govt. Ayurvedic College, Rewa

8.

Madhya Pradesh

Govt. Ayurvedic College, Jabalpur

9.

Madhya Pradesh

Govt. Ayurvedic College, Gwalior

10.

Madhya Pradesh

Govt. Ayurvedic College, Burhanpur

11.

Rajasthan

State Ayurvedic Compounder Nursing Training Center, Jogima, Ajmer

12.

Rajasthan

State Ayurvedic Compounder Nursing Training Center, Pumbla, Jodhpur

13.

West Bengal

Vishwanath Ayurveda Maha-                vidyalaya & Hospital, 77, Arbinda, Sarani, Kolkata

14.

Madhya Pradesh

Govt. Pt. Khushilal Sharma Ayurvedic College, Bhopal

 

Table 2: List of Compounder training courses in Ayurveda

 

 

Reviving the Ayurvedic curriculum

 

With changing global trend for Ayurveda, we need to emphasize introduction of new courses in Ayurvedic curriculum. Subjects like phytochemistry, biochemistry, pharmacognosy and ethno pharmacology should be made integral part of graduate Ayurvedic syllabus. Ayurvedic/herbal studies have recently become interdisciplinary. For an herbal expert, knowledge of subjects like phytochemistry biochemistry, pharmacology and pharmacognosy is a must. This is particularly significant for professionals working in industry or practicing pure Ayurveda/herbals.

 

Keeping in mind the growing demand for professionals for herbal drug industry several Indian universities have introduced courses related to Ayurveda, medicinal plants, cultivation and medicinal botany (see the table). The courses depicted in the following table are particularly useful for Ayurvedic professionals interested in joining the pharmaceutical industry.

 

 

S. no

Course Name

Name of the providing institute/university

Duration

1.

B.Pharm in Ayurvedic Pharmacy

Lovely, Professional University, Jalandhar

4-years

2.

Certificate course in Herbal Medicine
documentation

Bundelkhand University, Jhansi

6-months

3.

Certificate course in Medicinal and
Aromatic plant cultivation

Bundelkhand University, Jhansi

6-months

4.

Certificate course in Medicinal Plants

Institute of Distance Education, University of Madras

6-months

5.

Certificate course in Medicinal Plants

The Gandhi gram Rural Institute (Deemed University), Dindigul, Gandhi gram

6-months

6.

Certificate course in Phytochemical Techniques

Institute of Distance Education, University of Madras

6-months

7.

Certificate in Cultivation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants

U.P Rajarshi Tandon Open University, Allahabad

6-months

8.

Certificate in Herbal Farming

Institute of Distance Education, University of Madras

6-months

9.

Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy

Govt. Ayurvedic College, Guwahati, Assam

2-years

10.

Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy

Rattan Professional College of Ayurveda, Sohana, Mohali

2-years

11.

Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy

Govt. Ayurvedic College, Kurukshetra, Haryana

2-years

12.

Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy

Gaur Brahamin Ayurvedic College, Rohtak, Haryana

2-years

13.

Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy

Mahila Ayurvedic Degree College, Khanpur Kallan, Sonipat, Haryana

2-years

14.

Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy

Chaudhary Devi Lal College of Ayurveda, Jagadhri, Yamuna Nagar, Haryana

2-years

15.

Diploma in Ayurveda Pharmacy

Arignar Anna Hospital of Indian Medicine, Chennai

2-years

16.

Diploma in Ayurvedic Pharmacy

Gujarat Ayurved University

1 year

17.

Diploma in Herbal Technology

University of Mumbai

6-months

18.

Diploma in Medicinal Herbalism

The Open International Univers