Ethnobotanical Leaflets 11: 199-203. 2007.
A Note on the Status of Ayurvedic and Herbal Studies in India
Amritpal Singh
Herbal Consultant
Ind-Swift Ltd, Chandigarh
Issued 25 September 2007
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 University for Alternative Medicine, Calcutta
|
1-year
|
19.
|
Diploma of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants
|
Nalanda Open University, Patna (Bihar)
|
6-months
|
20.
|
Graduate of Ayurvedic Pharmacy
|
Gujarat Ayurved University
|
2-years
|
21.
|
M. Phil in Medicinal Plants
|
Global University, Nagaland
|
1-year
|
22.
|
M.Sc in Herbal Technology
|
University of Mumbai
|
2-years
|
23.
|
M.Sc in Medicinal Plants
|
Global University, Nagaland
|
2-years
|
24.
|
M.Sc in Medicinal Plants
|
Gulbarga University
|
2-years
|
25.
|
M.Sc in Medicinal Plants & Herbal Resource Management
|
Institute of Ethno biology, Jiwai University, Gwalior
|
2-years
|
26.
|
M.Sc. Ayurveda & Alternate Medicine
|
Bundelkhand University, Jhansi
|
2-years
|
27.
|
Master of Pharmacy in Medicinal Plants
|
Gujarat Ayurved University
|
2-years
|
28.
|
Master Program in Traditional Medicine
|
National Institute of Pharmaceutical Education and Research (NIPER), Mohali
|
2-years
|
29.
|
Post Graduate Diploma in Herbal Medicine
|
Mother Teresa Women’s University, Tamil Nadu
|
1-year
|
30.
|
Postgraduate Diploma in Herbal Drug Standardization
|
Gujarat Ayurved University
|
1-year
|
31.
|
Postgraduate Diploma in Herbal Medicine Informatics
|
Bioinformatics Institute of India, New Delhi
|
6-months
|
32.
|
Postgraduate Diploma in Medicinal Botany
|
Institute of Distance Education, University of Hyderabad
|
1-year
|
33.
|
Postgraduate Diploma in Medicinal Plants
|
Institute of Distance Education, University of Madras
|
2-years
|
34.
|
Postgraduate Diploma in Medico-botany
|
The Maharaja Sayaji Rao University, Baroda
|
1-year
|
35.
|
Postgraduate Diploma Medicinal & Aromatic Plants
|
Annamalai University
|
I-Year
|
36.
|
Production and Quality Control in Medicinal Plants
|
Tamil Nadu Agricultural University, Tamilnadu
|
6-months
|
37.
|
Master diploma in Alternative Medicine
|
The Open International University for Alternative Medicine, Calcutta
|
1-year
|
38.
|
Doctor of Philosophy in Alternative Medicine
|
The Open International University for Alternative Medicine, Calcutta
|
1-year
|
Table 3: List of course related to Ayurveda/Medicinal Plants/Herbals available in India
Conclusion: The purpose of the short communication is to make Ayurvedic professionals aware about chances of enhancing career prospects. We neither want to rebuke or promote any course but keeping in mind the demand of people for Ayurvedic/herbal drug industry, such type of critical contributions are essential.
Note: The details given in the communication are for information only. The author is not responsible for courses mentioned in the text. Potential readers are advised to look into the details and validity of the course.
|