Academics have raised concern that the draft syllabus for ayurveda medical education, introduced by the central council of Indian medicine, was likely to dilute the ayurveda educational system.
The council, the regulatory body for medical education in Indian systems of medicine, has called for feedback ahead of introducing the syllabus in 2017-18. Several teachers have even signed a Change.org petition, addressed to the Prime Minister, seeking more attention for ayurveda.
“Ayurveda is a unique system with theoretical foundations. Centuries of practice have enabled it to face challenges by updating itself within its basic framework. The new syllabus, however, duplicates allopathy,” said a senior professor who didn’t want to be named.
Dr Ram Manohar, research head at Amrita Vishwavidyalaya, said one should keep in mind that the syllabus was intended for the graduate programme, the base of a career in ayurveda. “They should be learning more ayurveda. You can add integrated subjects at the PG level and even have multi-disciplinary subjects at the PhD level,” said Dr Ram Manohar, research head, Amrita Vishwavidyalaya.
Experts said the notion that the new syllabus would enable graduates to practise in foreign countries was wrong.
“Even a graduate of western medicine has to undergo examinations to get registration in other countries. Also, the number of ayurveda graduates going to foreign countries is very less,” another professor said.
The new syllabus has 47 examination papers, as against 24 for MBBS and 29 for homeopathy. CCIM executive member Udaya Kumar said students were not learning pure ayurveda earlier. “What we have done is separate the segments. That’s why there are more papers, but the student will be learning pure ayurveda subjects,” he said, admitting that this could, however, turn a burden to universities.
Dr K Murali, professor with the department of kayachikitsa at Kannur government ayurveda college, said the Sanskrit syllabus in BAMS was insufficient for gaining a proper understanding of ayurvedic samhithas.
“The student will be at a loss if he/she does not get proper exposure to a systematic study of Sanskrit grammar and literature. This, however, has been reduced to just one paper,” he said.
TIMES OF INDIA
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