A Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday to declare the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Jamnagar as an Institution of National Importance.
The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020 was introduced by Ayush Minister Shripad Naik.
Trinamool Congress member Saugata Roy and Shashi Tharoor of Congress opposed the introduction of the bill.
Saugata Roy said Kerala and West Bengal have a strong tradition of Ayurveda and asked why the institute was being set up in Gujarat.
Roy said he had earlier made the same point about GIFT city, Gandhinagar.
He said the Ayurveda institute of national importance should be set up in some central places like Delhi or in Varanasi, West Bengal, and Kerala.
Opposing the introduction of the bill, Tharoor said that it leads to "unreasonable classification" and does not define an institution of national importance.
Naik said that the present bill deals with the institute in Jamnagar and the government was willing to consider suggestions about other institutions given by opposition members.
The bill provides for conglomerating the cluster of Ayurveda institutes at Gujarat Ayurveda University campus Jamnagar - Institute for Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Shri Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences including Pharmacy Unit.
It provides for subsuming the Maharshi Patanjali Institute for Yoga and Naturopathy Education and Research into the Department of Swasthvritta of the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda.
The elevation of the institute to the status of Institution of National Importance will provide it the autonomy to upgrade the standard of Ayurveda education, frame various courses in Ayurveda as per national and international demand and adopt advanced evaluation methodology.
It will have the mandate to frame its own certification courses for deeper penetration of Ayush across masses and will give the capacity to bring out the unrealized potential of Ayurveda for addressing the major public health challenges faced by the country.
Officials said the bill will help the institute to develop tertiary care in Ayurveda and to secure inter-disciplinary collaborations to give a contemporary thrust to Ayurveda.
They said that strengthening of Ayurveda will reduce government expenditure on health as Ayurveda is cost-effective because of its preventive and curative approaches.
( With inputs from ANI )