NEWS

The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in association with Startup India has launched the ‘Ayush Start-up Challenge’ to encourage start-ups and individuals working on innovations in the field of Ayurveda and alternative healing

AYUSH

WHAT

• Stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy
• Sanskrit meaning is “life”

Ayurveda

• “Ayur” means age and ‘veda’ denotes knowledge
• Defines knowledge about age or the knowledge which describe age
• Oldest references are found in Atharvaveda
• Principle objectives is maintenance and promotion of health, prevention of disease and cure of sickness

Yoga

• According to Maharishi Patanjali (The Father of Yoga), Yoga is the suppression of five modifications of the mind
• Advocated eight folds of Yoga, popularly known as “Ashtanga Yoga” for all-round development of human beings.

Unani

• Unani system is originated in Greece
• In India, Unani system of medicine was Arabs and Persians sometime around eleventh century.
• Based upon Four Humors Balance Theory i.e. Dam (blood), Balgham (phlegm), Safra (yellow bile) and Sauda (black bile).

Siddha

• One of the oldest systems of medicine in India
• ‘Siddha’ means achievements and ‘Siddhars’ were saintly persons who achieved result in medicine
• According to its tradition it was Lord Shiva who unfolded the knowledge of ‘Siddha system’ of medicine to his concert Parvati who handed it down to Nandi Deva and then to Siddhas.
• Largely therapeutic in nature. According to this system the human body is the replica of the universe and so are the foods and drugs irrespective of their origin

Homeopathy

• Youngest of all these medicinal system, yet rapidly growing and being practiced almost all over the world
• Was given a scientific basis by Dr. Samuel Hahnemann (1755-1843) in the early 19th century
• Based on the natural law of healing – “Similia Similibus Curantur” which means “likes are cured by likes”

MINISTRY OF AYUSH

Created in 2014

Objectives

• For upgrading the educational standards of Indian Systems of Medicines and Homoeopathy colleges in the country.
• For strengthening existing research institutions and to ensure a time-bound research programme on identified diseases for which these systems have an effective treatment.
• Formulate schemes for promotion, cultivation and regeneration of medicinal plants used in these systems.
• For the evolution of Pharmacopoeial standards for Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy drugs