NewzVille Desk
Union Minister of State (Independent Charge), Ministry of Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, today presided over the valedictory session of the two-day Chintan Shivir–2026 in New Delhi.
Addressing the gathering, the Union Minister expressed satisfaction with the meaningful deliberations held during the Shivir and emphasised that the exercise has emerged as a strong reflection of the government’s collective vision, commitment, and determination to advance Ayush.
He underlined that Ayush represents not just a system of treatment but a holistic health and lifestyle approach, offering solutions to modern health challenges, particularly lifestyle-related diseases.
Reiterating the importance of integrative and multidisciplinary approaches, Jadhav called for deeper institutional integration of Ayush with mainstream healthcare systems, strengthening of evidence-based research, and enhanced focus on digital health platforms such as Ayush Grid and telemedicine to improve accessibility, especially in rural areas. He also stressed on contrubution for entrepreneurship, innovation, and capacity building.
Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, in his address, noted that the Chintan Shivir served as a platform for collective introspection, policy review, and the development of a future roadmap.
He highlighted that the discussions reflected a clear consensus on strengthening research, standardisation, and global credibility, while also emphasising the importance of effective communication and public outreach, particularly through digital platforms.
He stated that the outcomes of the Shivir would guide time-bound, actionable strategies to further strengthen the Ayush ecosystem.
Punya Salila Srivastava, Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare; Dr. Vinod Paul, Member, NITI, and Preeti Sudan, former Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Dr A Raghu and other dignitaries were also present on the occasion.
The Shivir was inaugurated on April 16, 2026, by Prataprao Jadhav and key initiatives launched during the event included:
- MoU between the All India Institute of Ayurveda and the General Insurance Council to expand insurance coverage for Ayush treatments
- Launch of the Ministry’s official WhatsApp Channel
- Release of the benchmark rates document for Ayush insurance
- Launch of toll-free number 1800-11-0008 for Ayush insurance support
