Udaipur : The 11th Ayurveda Day was celebrated at the College of Technology and Engineering (CTAE), Udaipur, with experts emphasizing the conservation, scientific cultivation, sustainable utilization and value addition of medicinal plants.
The programme was jointly organized by the AICRP on Medicinal and Aromatic Plants & Seeds (M&AP&B) Centre, Maharana Pratap University of Agriculture and Technology (MPUAT), Udaipur, and the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India, New Delhi.
Dr. Sunil Khandelwal, retired faculty member of MPUAT and chief guest, highlighted the need to integrate traditional Ayurvedic knowledge with modern scientific approaches and research. He said scientific conservation and utilization of medicinal plants could further expand the relevance and reach of Ayurveda.
Prof. Deepak Rajpurohit, Phytochemist, AICRP M&AP&B, MPUAT, spoke in detail about the conservation, scientific cultivation, sustainable use and value addition of medicinal plants, besides highlighting opportunities for entrepreneurship in the sector. He particularly underlined the potential for medicinal plant cultivation, processing and value addition in the tribal areas of Mewar, noting that these activities could create new income opportunities for rural and tribal communities.
Dr. Narendra Kumar Padiwal, Technical Assistant, conducted a live demonstration of various medicinal plants. He briefed participants on plant identification, medicinal properties and scientific cultivation practices.
Dr. Narottam Soni, Assistant Teaching Associate, Department of Processing and Food Engineering, CTAE, highlighted the importance of conserving, processing and sustainably utilizing medicinal plant resources. He also discussed opportunities for value addition and the application of modern processing technologies to medicinal plant-based products.
Around 55 students, faculty members, scientists and university staff participated actively in the programme. The event promoted awareness about medicinal plants and emphasized their conservation, scientific utilization and the integration of traditional Ayurvedic knowledge with modern science.