Union Health Minister Dr Harsh Vardhan has said the NDA Government would work towards enhancing Ayurveda's global acceptance as evidence-based medicine.

Speaking to reporters after laying the foundation stone of a "Global Museum of Ayurveda and Herbal Medicine" at Yoga Guru Baba Ramdev's Patanjali Yoga Pitha, Dr Harsh Vardhan said: "For the first time since 1947, the government's health policy is going to lay primary emphasis on the Ayurveda Siddhanta. This is in tune with the times as World Health Organisation (WHO) has given considerable importance to Ayurveda in its activities related to traditional medicine.

He further said: "WHO has contributed substantially towards the implementation of pharmaco-vigilance in Ayurveda and the publication of documents for rational use and initiatives to prepare consumer guidelines for appropriate use of Ayurvedic medicines." . "Now, every AIIMS centre will have an indigenous medicine department of which Ayurveda will be a major component. AIIMS Rishikesh will take the lead in this as steps are underway to have a 100-bed AYUSH Hospital and land for medicinal herb cultivation facility for standardised production of medicines," he added.

On AYUSH, Harsh Vardhan said the government has set up a "Committee of Directors" to recommend a blue print for the operationalisation of a yoga training and therapy centre at AIIMS Rishikesh. The committee will be headed by Dr Raj Kumar, Director, AIIMS- Rishikesh, and hold its first meeting on August 4, the Minister stated.

"The old, allopathy orientation of AIIMS is out of sync with the contemporary trend of integrating indigenous and western forms of cure. That is why I wish to give Yoga, along with Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy pride of place in the AIIMS system. All the six new AIIMS will be dynamic institutions of integrated medicine in the years to come," he said.

Baba Ram Dev told reporters that he appreciated the Narendra Modi government's commitment to represent evidence-based treatment in a positive light to the people.

The Minister and the Yoga Guru had a detailed discussion on research trends in modern science and clinical applications of Yoga and Ayurveda. Dr Harsh Vardhan remarked that he was pleased to hear of the guru's monumental work in developing a World Herbal Encyclopaedia.