CCRAS Unveils Three Major Initiatives to Boost Ayurveda Research and Digital Governance

In a bid to strengthen India’s evidence-based research ecosystem, education and digital governance, The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), the apex research body under the Ministry of Ayush, launched three initiatives at the fifth executive committee (EC) meeting. The meet was convened under the chairmanship of Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush on July 3. The initiatives aim to promote research, education, scientific writing and digital transformation.

The initiatives include a new textbook on research methodology, the launch of the Expression of Interest for the CCRAS PRAYATNA 2026–27 programme, and the introduction of the CCRAS Digital Ecosystem Dashboard. The meeting  highlighted the Council's recent achievements in accreditation, digital innovation and international research collaboration too.

Addressing the Executive Committee, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, commended CCRAS for its contribution to advancing evidence-based Ayurveda research, education and public health. He praised the Council's role in strengthening the national research ecosystem and encouraged it to continue focusing on innovation and scientific excellence.

Kotecha also acknowledged several milestones achieved by the Council, including securing 21 NABH and NABL accreditations across its institutes, establishing the Ayush Diksha platform, undertaking international collaborative research projects, and conducting a large-scale study on anaemia among adolescent girls.

Welcoming the members of the newly reconstituted Executive Committee, CCRAS Director General and Member Secretary Prof. (Vaidya) Rabinarayan Acharya outlined the agenda and reviewed the Council's key accomplishments.

"CCRAS remains committed to building a globally respected, evidence-based Ayurveda research ecosystem. Our progress in scientific research, institutional excellence, digital transformation, international collaborations and capacity building reflects our commitment to advancing Ayurveda through innovation, quality and scientific validation," Prof. Acharya said.

A key highlight of the meeting was the release of a textbook on Research Methodology under the Ayurved Prabodhini Granthamala series. Written by 50 research scientists and faculty members, the publication has been developed in line with the Outcome-Based Dynamic Curriculum prescribed by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) for postgraduate and doctoral Ayush programmes. The textbook aims to strengthen research skills and promote evidence-based scientific practices among MD, MS and Ph.D. scholars.

The Council also launched the Expression of Interest (EoI) for CCRAS PRAYATNA 2026–27, its flagship programme designed to promote scientific writing among postgraduate and doctoral Ayurveda students. Alongside the announcement, the official poster for the initiative was unveiled. Through structured workshops at academic institutions, the programme seeks to improve scientific writing and publication skills while fostering a stronger research culture among young scholars.

Another significant development was the launch of the CCRAS Digital Ecosystem Dashboard, an integrated online platform that brings together the Council's digital resources and web-based services. The dashboard is intended to improve public access, enhance transparency and facilitate wider dissemination of research outputs and institutional resources.

The meeting was attended by senior officials from the Ministry of Ayush and CCRAS, including Hoveyda Abbas, Additional Secretary and Financial Adviser; Satyajit Paul, Senior Statistical Adviser; Dr. A. Raghu, Adviser (Ayurveda); Vaidya Jayant Deopujari, former Chairman of NCISM; Prof. (Dr.) Sanjeev Sharma, Vice Chancellor of the National Institute of Ayurveda; Dr. N. Srikanth, Deputy Director General, CCRAS; and Deepak Kochhar, Deputy Director (Administration), among other Executive Committee members.

The meeting ended with a renewed commitment from CCRAS to advance evidence-based Ayurveda research by strengthening scientific excellence, academic capacity building and digital innovation to support public health and the wider healthcare ecosystem.