Bengaluru: PM digitally launches Ayurveda Centre of Excellence for diabetes in IISc

Bengaluru: Prime Minister Narendra Modi has digitally launched a Centre of Excellence (CoE) in Ayurveda for Diabetes and Metabolic Disorders at the Indian Institute of Science (IISc) in Bengaluru.

This launch coincides with the 9th National Ayurveda Day, observed on October 29, 2024, under the theme "Ayurveda Innovations for Global Health".

Modi also announced six new Ayurveda CoEs across India, established under the Ayurswasthya Yojna programme, with institutions like IISc, IIT Delhi, Jawaharlal Nehru University, Delhi, and CSIR-Central Drug Research Institute, Lucknow, taking the lead.

Funded with a grant of Rs 52.47 crore, these centres will focus on research, education, and healthcare innovations in Ayurveda.

The CoE at IISc is led by Principal Investigator Navakanta Bhat, Professor at the Centre for Nano Science and Engineering (CeNSE), alongside Co-Principal Investigator Sona Rajakumari, Assistant Professor in the Department of Developmental Biology and Genetics. “The CoE aligns well with the vision of establishing a strong integrative medicine programme at the IISc postgraduate medical school,” Bhat stated.

Additional Co-Principal Investigators from collaborating institutes in Bengaluru include Sulochana Bhat, Assistant Director In-charge at the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI); S Srikanta, endocrinologist, and Director of Samatvam: Science and Research for Human Welfare Trust; and KS Nagabhushana of the Prayoga Institute of Education Research.

"At the IISc centre, a clinical trial will be conducted, with a longitudinal study over two years, to assess the efficacy of two new Ayurvedic formulations (Mustadi Ghana Vati and Varadi Ghana Vati) in pre-diabetes and Type II diabetes," the institute said.

Modi laid the foundation stones for ESIC hospitals at Bommasandra and Narasapur.