Vice-President Inaugurates KAUMARACON-2026 and Launches Digital Ayurveda Initiatives
The Vice-President of India, Shri C. P. Radhakrishnan, inaugurated the third international conference on Kaumarabhritya (Ayurvedic pediatrics) at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi, which also marked the Institute's 10th Foundation Day. The conference, themed "Shaping the Future of Child Health: Global Perspectives, Research Innovations, and Clinical Frontiers in Kaumarabhritya," is being held from 15 to 17 October 2026.
During the inauguration, five digital initiatives were launched: the AYUSH Start-up Portal, the AIIA–iCAINE website, the Ayurveda Digital Innovation and Venture Acceleration Facility (AyuDIVA), the Vamana App, and the Panchakarma Assessment App. These initiatives aim to strengthen digital infrastructure, entrepreneurship, and technology-enabled clinical practice in Ayurveda.
An international Memorandum of Understanding was exchanged between Maharishi International University (USA) and AIIA, New Delhi, reflecting the Institute's commitment to international academic and research collaboration.
Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav highlighted the transformative journey of India's traditional medicine systems over the past decade, noting the growing public trust in AYUSH systems and India's increasing international recognition in traditional medicine. He emphasized that child health must remain a national priority and that Ayurvedic knowledge offers valuable perspectives on preventive healthcare, maternal and child nutrition.
Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of Ayush, detailed AIIA's institutional achievements, including operation of more than 45 specialized OPDs, postgraduate and doctoral education across 12 specialties, mentorship of 105 pharmacovigilance centres, and maintenance of more than 97 national and international academic collaborations. He also mentioned the establishment of an AIIA satellite campus in Goa and the announcement of three new AIIA institutions in the Union Budget 2026–27.
Prof. P. K. Prajapati, Director of AIIA, highlighted the Institute's NAAC A++ accreditation and NABH quality recognition, and mentioned specialized facilities including the KINDER Lab for paediatric electrophysiology and non-invasive diagnostics, and the Ayurinformatics Lab for AI-driven formulation development and dosage design.
The conference brought together eminent Vaidyas, paediatric healthcare specialists, researchers, academicians, and international delegates to deliberate on advances in Ayurvedic paediatric care and strengthen evidence-based approaches to child health.