Top News

President of India Draupadi Murmu on Wednesday inaugurated the three-day international symposium ‘Saushrutam 2026’ based on Ayurvedic surgery organized at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi. Eminent surgeons, researchers, educationists and policy makers from India and abroad are participating in this seminar organized by AIIA under the Ministry of AYUSH on the occasion of Sushruta Jayanti.

On this occasion, the President inaugurated the state-of-the-art AI-enabled 3 Tesla high-field MRI facility at AIIA and also released the study report ‘Evaluation of Professional Life of Women Graduates of Ayurveda: An Observational and Exploratory Study’ published by the National Commission for Indian Systems of Medicine (NCISM).

In his address, the President said that the unique contribution of Acharya Sushruta had laid the foundation of scientific and systematic surgery in the world and Ayurveda’s holistic approach towards health is still very relevant in the modern health system.

He said that conservation of biodiversity is very important for the sustainable development of Ayurveda and along with ensuring the availability of medicinal plants, scientific validation of traditional knowledge should be done.

Calling for greater participation of women in the field of Ayurveda, the President said that the challenges faced in long-term career development of women professionals should be addressed through collective efforts.

Praising the promotion of Ayurveda globally by the Ministry of AYUSH, he said that the coordination of traditional knowledge with modern technology, modern clinical equipment and scientific research is continuously increasing the possibilities of Ayurveda and its credibility.

He expressed confidence that events like ‘Saushrutam 2026’ will play an important role in further strengthening the evidence-based Ayurvedic system of medicine and increasing its global acceptance.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of AYUSH Prataprao Jadhav, Lieutenant Governor of Delhi Taranjit Singh Sandhu and Secretary of the Ministry of AYUSH Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha were present as special guests at the inauguration ceremony.

Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu said that India’s civilizational strength lies in its rich knowledge traditions, of which Ayurveda is an invaluable and lasting contribution. He said that health systems around the world are recognizing the importance of preventive, holistic and lifestyle-based medical approaches along with modern medicine.

He stressed the need to strengthen scientific research, evidence-based studies and international collaboration to increase the global credibility and acceptance of Ayurveda. He said that institutions like AIIA are playing an important role in coordinating traditional knowledge and modern science through quality education, research and innovation.

Prataprao Jadhav, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of AYUSH and Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare, said that under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Ayurveda has received unprecedented recognition and new energy at the global level.

He said that ‘Saushrutam 2026’ is an important platform to promote excellence in the field of Ayurvedic surgery and strengthen international cooperation. Referring to the NCISM study, she highlighted the challenges faced by women Ayurveda graduates in career development and stressed the need for policy intervention and institutional support to increase their participation in leadership, research and clinical services.

He also underlined the need to encourage young Ayurveda professionals to actively contribute to nation building and global healthcare.

Welcoming the guests in the program, Director of All India Ayurveda Institute, Prof. (Vaidya) PK Prajapati said that ‘Saushrutam 2026’ is an important milestone towards the coordination of classical Ayurvedic surgical knowledge and contemporary scientific advancements.

He said that this symposium will play an important role in strengthening academic collaboration at national and international level, promoting high quality research and encouraging clinical excellence in Ayurvedic surgery.

The newly constructed AI-enabled 3 Tesla high-field MRI facility will strengthen AIIA’s clinical services, accelerate integrative research between Ayurveda and modern medicine and provide quality and affordable imaging services to patients.

Apart from India, experts from nine countries including Thailand, Israel, Austria, United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal and Greece are participating in this three-day international seminar. Its scientific program includes keynote lectures, panel discussions, workshops and technical sessions on surgical systems, Ksharsutra, Agnikarma, robotic surgery, integrative oncology and other emerging areas of research.

‘Saushrutam 2026’ aims to promote evidence-based dialogue, encourage innovation, and strengthen global collaboration in the field of Ayurvedic surgery.