Rajya Sabha passed The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020 on Wednesday. The bill introduced in the Upper House on Tuesday by Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan grants the status of institution of national importance to a Jamnagar-based cluster of Ayurveda institutes.

The bill was passed by Lok Sabha in the previous session. 

Under the bill, three Jamnagar, Gujarat-based institutes — Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences, will be conglomerated and accorded the status of institution of national importance.

Institutes of National Importance is a status conferred on a premier public institute, by an act of Parliament. Currently, there are 95 Institutes of National Importance, the Ministry of Education has listed on its website. 

During the discussion, several MPs raised the question of why the Gujarat-based institute is being accorded with the status of national importance when other states are also doing well in the field. 

The Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda is the only centre, which is a WHO collaborating centre and is the only institution, where PG and research facility is available. It has also made several treatment protocols and guidelines for the country.

The proposed conglomerate would have a 15-member committee including the Minister of Ayush, Secretary of Ayush and Secretary of Health & Family Welfare of the Gujarat Government, along with three MPs in which two would be from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha.