September 17, 2020
The ITRA Bill was first introduced in the Parliament in February, 2020.
Passed by the Lok Sabha in March and Rajya Sabha in September,2020.
Bill will aid in establishing a state-of-the-art Ayurvedic Institution, called Institute of Teaching & Research in Ayurveda, in Jamnagar.
This institute will improve upon the content and pedagogy of Ayurveda, making it independent and innovative.
Prevalent in Indian civilisation since centuries, Ayurveda is not merely a system of medicine, but a way of life. Over the course of its journey, Ayurveda has witnessed many waves of evolution. One such wave is currently unfolding with Ayurveda expanding from simply being an alternative form of medicine to providing primary healthcare to the nation. To synergise the Ayurveda Industry, the Rajya Sabha passed the Institute of Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) Bill 2020, which was previously passed in the Lok Sabha in March 2020. This provides impetus to the establishment of an avant-garde Ayurvedic institution called the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (ITRA) at Jamnagar, Gujarat, and to bestow upon it the status of an Institution of National Importance (INI). The ITRA will be established with the amalgamation of the already existing Ayurveda schools at Gujarat Ayurveda University, Jamnagar, which includes the Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Shree GulabKunverba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya, the Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Sciences, and MaharshiPatanjali Institute for Yoga Naturopathy Education & Research.
This move aims to demonstrate high standards of ayurveda education and to emerge as a beacon to the entire AYUSH sector. It is expected to provide the highest level of training and research of personnel in all important branches of Ayurveda including pharmacy. Being the first institution with INI accreditation, it will be independent and innovative in deciding its own pedagogy and shall take this particular branch of science to entirely new levels.
The bill states that the institute will be able to develop patterns of teaching in medical education in Ayurveda and pharmacy, bring together educational facilities for training of personnel in all branches of Ayurveda, attain self-sufficiency in postgraduate education to meet the need for specialists and medical teachers in Ayurveda, and make an in-depth study and research in the field of Ayurveda.
This bill will bring about a paradigm shift in the way Ayurveda is taught throughout the country. Its unique blend of science and philosophy ensures one’s holistic wellbeing and plays a pivotal role in the primary healthcare delivery system of the country.