BJD MP Sasmit Patra seeks All India Institute of Ayurveda in Mayurbhanj
Dr. Sasmit Patra met Shri Prataprao Jadhav
Bhubaneswar: Biju Janata Dal (BJD) Rajya Sabha MP Dr. Sasmit Patra has sought the establishment of Eastern India’s first All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Odisha’s Mayurbhanj district, highlighting the region’s biodiversity and medicinal plant wealth.
Dr. Sasmit Patra met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Prataprao Jadhav, in New Delhi and submitted a detailed memorandum seeking the establishment of the premier institution under the Ministry of AYUSH. The proposal comes at a time when the Centre is emphasizing the expansion of Ayurveda education, research and integrative healthcare, including plans for new AIIA institutions across the country, reports The News Insight.
Patra said Odisha does not have a premier national Ayurveda institution despite its strong tradition of Ayurvedic practice and rich natural resources. He noted that states such as Delhi, Goa, Rajasthan and Gujarat already host leading Ayurveda institutes under the Centre. According to the proposal, the institute would function as a centre of excellence for Ayurveda education, patient care, research, innovation and community outreach.
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Highlighting Mayurbhanj's strengths, Patra noted that the district is home to the Similipal Biosphere Reserve, one of India's most significant biodiversity hotspots. He said the region's extensive medicinal plant resources could support advanced Ayurveda research, conservation programmes, cultivation initiatives and academic studies. Mayurbhanj also offers a unique combination of biodiversity, strategic location and developmental potential required for a national institution of this scale, reports The Times of India.
Patra also referred to the presence of the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI) in Bhubaneswar, noting that its role is primarily research-oriented. He said an AIIA would provide a broader institutional framework encompassing tertiary healthcare services, undergraduate and postgraduate education, doctoral research, clinical training and public health outreach, thereby complementing existing AYUSH infrastructure rather than duplicating it.
Patra said Eastern India deserves a premier Ayurveda institution and that Mayurbhanj is ideally positioned to host such a facility. He expressed hope that the Ministry of AYUSH would give due consideration to the proposal in the interest of balanced regional development, improved healthcare accessibility, employment generation, academic growth and the promotion of India's traditional knowledge systems.
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