11Initiatives with a

Difference

276 Status of Indian Medicine and Folk Healing

Initiatives with a Difference

A Science Initiative in Ayurvedic Biology 277

Vaidya-Scientist Fellow Program 278

Conclusions and Recommendations 279

Initiatives with a Difference 277

11Initiatives with a Difference

Initiatives of a new kind are being taken in different research institutes in India and abroad, which are a harbinger of things to come. It is a welcome sign that instead of again focusing on discovering new molecules, drug development and standardisation which have all been pursued for more than four decades there is now a paradigm shift towards understanding the fundamental concepts of Ayurveda, seen through the lens of pure science. It is beyond the scope of this report to capture the status of all those projects. But two approaches merit special mention because they carry a hope that the change may augur a completely new way of understanding Ayurveda. The new emphasis on Ayurvedic biology and on bridging the chasm between pure science and Ayurvedic concepts are just two initiatives that the PI has included in this report to give an idea of the direction in which things seem to be moving.

A Science Initiative in Ayurvedic Biology

Enormous research work on Ayurveda had been done throughout the 20th century in Indian Universities, National Laboratories and in the private sector. But the work was largely focused on drugs and standardization. Much less attention was paid to holding trials to determine the efficacy and effectiveness of traditional medicine even after liberalization of research guidelines by the WHO. The study

of the concepts and procedures of Ayurveda by adopting the rigorous approach required of basic sciences (such as biology and immunology) had received little attention. There was indeed no platform for basic scientists and Ayurvedic physicians to interact, and both were impoverished in the bargain.

This problem was recognized by the Indian Academy of Sciences in 2006 when the academy published a Vision Document “Towards Ayurvedic Biology”.1 Its importance was noted by the office of the Principal Scientific Adviser (PSA) to the Government of India who approved a scheme “A Science Initiative in Ayurveda (ASIIA)” to support a limited number of collaborative projects between institutions of science and Ayurveda.

Seven projects were approved under ASIIA in which several top institutions2 of science and Ayurveda were involved like IISc, CCMB, BHU, IIT/Kharagpur, AVS/Kottakal and FRLHT to build a joint culture of collaborative research between scientists and Ayurvedic experts and with the aim of publishing high quality research papers.

The first round of projects approved for research address questions such as do Vata/Pitta/Kapha Prakritis have a genomic basis? Do Rasayanas accelerate the repair of DNA chain breaks? What are the metabolic and immunological correlates of Panchakarma?

1. http://www.ias.ac.in/academy/dvdocs/ayurvis.pdf2. Indian Institute of Science (IISc); Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology(CCMB); Banaras Hindu University(BHU);

Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur; Arya Vaidya Sala (AVS), Kottakal; Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT).

278 Status of Indian Medicine and Folk Healing

Would the microstructure of a mercury derived Bhasma hold the key to its acclaimed “nontoxicity”. The results of few studies have been published in reputed international reputed journals.3, 4

Nature News mentions Professor Lakhotia’s paper on the effects of Amalaki Rasayana on Drosophila5 from an ASIIA project. The progress made by ASIIA was appreciated by the Department of Science and Technology and it was decided to take over the scheme under a “Task Force in Ayurvedic Biology”6 set up under the chairmanship of Dr. MS Valiathan, National Research Professor, Manipal University. The approach excludes herbal drugs research and safety and efficacy trials and focuses instead on basic research applied to the concepts and procedures of Ayurveda.

Objectives of the Task Force on Ayurvedic Biology

i. Development of a basic understanding of the concepts, procedures, and products of Ayurveda in terms of modern sciences such as biology, immunology and chemistry.

ii. To develop infrastructure facilities, Centres of excellence, and major research facilities in this area.

iii. To promote human resource development in this area by offering fellowships, training opportunities, and providing support to scientific meetings and workshops.

iv. To promote collaborative research with institutions abroad which are active in pursuing studies on traditional medicine and may have shared interest in Ayurvedic Biology.

The Task Force is responsible for setting priorities, identifying research areas and developing proposals for the smooth implementation of the ASIIA projects.

As Dr. M S Valiathan erstwhile Director and Professor of Cardiac Surgery at the Sree Chitra Tirunal Institute for Medical Sciences and Technology, Thiruanantapuram put it, “the merit of the initiatives under ASIIA is that they have paved the way for the emergence of a new discipline called Ayurvedic Biology, which is rigorous like other branches of biology but is based on cues from Ayurveda. This has evoked much interest among pure biologists who have shown keenness to pursue leads from the published work of Lakhotia, Subba Rao and others. Valuable papers are in the pipeline and more may be expected to get published in the next 4 to 5 years and establish the new branch of biology on a firm footing’’.

Vaidya-Scientist Fellow Program

Vaidya-Scientist is a new academic fellowship programme for teachers/researchers of Ayurveda who have demonstrated high levels of scholarship, innovation and strong research potential. Vaidya-Scientists are

3. Bhavana Prasher et al., Whole genome expression and biochemical correlates of extreme constitutional types defined in Ayurveda. Journal of Translational Medicine 2008, 6:48. http://www.translational-medicine.com/content/6/1/48

4. Shilpi Agarwal et al., EGLN1involvement in high-altitude adaptation revealed through genetic analysis of extreme constitution types defined in Ayurveda. http://www.pnas.org/content/107/44/18961.full.pdf+html?sid=49371cad-8f01-4ea0-955b-7bee0758af0d

5. Dwivedi V, Anandan EM, Mony RS, Muraleedharan TS, Valiathan MS, Mutsuddi M, Lakhotia SC. (2012) In Vivo Effects Of Traditional Ayurvedic Formulations in Drosophila melanogaster Model Relate with Therapeutic Applications. http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0037113

6. http://www.dst.gov.in/whats_new/whats_new12/AYURVEDIC%20BIOLOGY.pdf

Initiatives with a Difference 279

seen as agents of change and ambassadors of Ayurveda in order to create a bridge between “Shastra” and “Science”. Dr. Ashok Vaidya pioneered this concept, on the lines of ‘Ayurvidya’ proposed by Lokmanya Tilak7. The mission of the programme is to develop high quality human resources in the Ayurveda sector, focusing on under-graduate and post-graduate education and is being hosted by the Institute of Ayurveda and Integrative Medicine (I-AIM), (a unit of FRLHT, Bengaluru), with support from the Department of AYUSH, Government of India.

The Indian Academy of Sciences Journal, Current Science8, published an article on the Vaidya-Scientist concept giving the programme further impetus. The programme is designed to create a new cadre of young Vaidyas who are strongly rooted in the Shastra but also fully understand the relationship

between the systemic theories of Shastra and the structural theories of science.9 These Vaidya-Scientists are expected to become agents of change by becoming masters of contemporary approaches to transdisciplinary Ayurvedic research. Fellows will be mentored by eminent scholars and the list includes Vaidya Vilas Nanal, Prof. RH Singh, Dr. GG Gangadharan, Dr. Tanuja Nesari, Dr. Ashok Vaidya, Dr. Rama Vaidya, Prof Bhushan Patwardhan, Dr. Madan Thangavelu, Prof Alex Hankey, among others.

Conclusion and recommendations

It is expected that these initiatives will usher in a new approach to the study of Ayurveda and something tangible will emerge which can give the primacy and respect that the system needs for acceptance by a wider scientific community.

7. Patwardhan B, Ghooi R. Dr. Ashok DB Vaidya. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2011;2:209-108. Bhushan Patwardhan et al,. Vaidya-Scientits: catalysing Ayurveda renaissance. Current Science Vol.100, No.4,

25 Feb 2011. http://cs-test.ias.ac.in/cs/Volumes/100/04/0476.pdf9. Singh RH. Perspectives in innovation in the AYUSH sector. J Ayurveda Integr Med 2011;2:52-4. http://www.jaim.

in/text.asp?2011/2/2/52/82516