Bhubaneswar: BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra on Wednesday met Prataprao Jadhav, Union minister of State (independent charge) for Ayush, and submitted a representation seeking the establishment of an All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in Mayurbhanj.In his representation, Patra highlighted that despite Odisha’s immense contributions to India’s tribal heritage, biodiversity conservation, medicinal plant wealth and healthcare ecosystem, the state does not presently host any premier national ayurveda institution comparable to the All India Institute of Ayurveda (Delhi and Goa), National Institute of Ayurveda (Jaipur) or Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda (Jamnagar).Patra emphasised that the proposed AIIA in Mayurbhanj would not only address a longstanding institutional gap in eastern India but would also emerge as a centre of excellence for ayurveda education, research, healthcare and innovation serving millions of citizens across Odisha, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Bihar and neighbouring states.Highlighting the unique strengths of Mayurbhanj, Patra said that the district is home to the internationally acclaimed Similipal Biosphere Reserve, one of India’s richest biodiversity landscapes, and possesses significant medicinal plant resources that can support advanced ayurveda research, conservation and education.
