CCRAS Ayurveda Research Capacity Building Initiatives

The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), under the Ministry of Ayush, has announced multiple initiatives to strengthen research capacity in Ayurveda. The PRAYATNA scheme is a flagship program designed to foster scientific writing skills among Ayurveda PG/Ph.D scholars through a structured process involving expression of interest, two online orientation sessions on scientific writing basics, individual manuscript assistance, and culminating in a 3-day physical workshop at institutes to produce publication-ready manuscripts.

The CCRAS Digital Initiatives Dashboard (dashboard.ccras.org.in) serves as an integrated platform showcasing the Council's web-based and digital resources. The dashboard features multiple sections including Office suite, CCRAS Institute Websites, internal applications, web portals for Informatics & Point of Care applications, Knowledge & Literature, Schemes, and others, along with mobile applications, project-specific applications, applications under testing, CCRAS Journals, social media pages, and legacy web portal versions with search functionality.

Regarding accreditation status, twelve CCRAS institutes hold full NABH accreditation with varying validity periods: Central Ayurveda Research Institute, New Delhi (AH-2022-0169, valid until 06.10.2028, renewal assessment done); Bhubaneswar (AH-2023-0188, valid until 12.03.2026, sent for renewal); Jaipur (AH-2023-0189, valid until 12.03.2026, renewed until 12.03.2029); Gwalior (AH-2023-0187, valid until 12.03.2026, renewed until 12.03.2029); Kolkata (AH-2023-0198, valid until 11.05.2026, renewal action taken); Nagpur (AH-2023-0197, valid until 11.05.2026, renewed certificate awaited); Jammu (AH-2023-0196, valid until 11.05.2026, renewed until 11.05.2029); Vijayawada (AH-2023-0201, valid until 11.05.2026, renewed certificate awaited); Cheruthuruthy (AH-2023-0208, valid until 04.07.2026, sent for renewal); Guwahati (AH-2023-0220, valid until 25.10.2026); Mumbai (AH-2024-0239, valid until 02.04.2027); and Lucknow (AH-2025-0426, valid until 22.12.2028).

Seven institutes maintain NABH Entry Level Certification: Bengaluru (EAC-2023-0006, valid until 04.01.2025, applied for full accreditation); Ranikhet (EAC-2023-0005, valid until 08.12.2027); Ahmadabad (EAC-2023-0007, valid until 02.03.2027); Gangtok (EAC-2023-0012, valid until 01.05.2027); Mandi (EAC-2024-0025, valid until 08.02.2026, assessment done for renewal); Goa (EAC-2025-0048, valid until 07.04.2027); and Itanagar (EAC-2025-00650, valid until 08.12.2028).

Eighteen CCRAS laboratories maintain NABL accreditation for medical labs: Cheruthuruthy (NABL-M(EL)T-00231, valid until 13.04.2025, assessment done for renewal); Kolkata (NABL-M(EL)T-03118, valid until 30.07.2028); Bengaluru (MC-10023-ISO 15189:2022, valid until 01.04.2030); New Delhi (NABL-M(EL)T-00488, valid until 12.03.2026, renewal action taken); Nagpur (NABL-M(EL)T-00591, valid until 29.05.2026, renewal action taken); Guwahati (NABL-M(EL)T-00594, valid until 29.05.2026, renewal action taken); Gwalior (NABL-M(EL)T-00693, valid until 05.09.2026); Patiala (NABL-M(EL)T-02331, valid until 15.11.2026); Jaipur (NABL-M(EL)T-02338, valid until 15.11.2026); Thiruvananthapuram (NABL-M(EL)T-02378, valid until 15.11.2026); Jammu (NABL-M(EL)T-02437, valid until 07.12.2026); Vijayawada (NABL-M(EL)T-02547, valid until 05.03.2027); Ahmedabad (NABL-M(EL)T-02565, valid until 18.03.2027); Patna (NABL-M(EL)T-02647, valid until 01.08.2027); Lucknow (NABL-M(EL)T-02906, valid until 16.02.2028); Mumbai (NABL-M(EL)T-02941, valid until 17.03.2028); Mandi (NABL-M(EL)T-03354, valid until 20.01.2029); and Bhubaneshwar (NABL-M(EL)T-03468, valid until 17.06.2029).

Additionally, five institutes hold NABL accreditation for Testing & Calibration Laboratories under ISO/IEC 17025:2017: Chennai (TC-05423, valid until 11.02.2029, accredited since 2017); Jhansi (TC-15379, valid until 28.01.2029); Gwalior (TC-15768, valid until 27.03.2029); Pune (TC-11420, valid until 05.03.2029); and Cheruthuruthy (TC-17520, valid until 04.02.2030).

CCRAS has also published 'A Textbook of Research Methodology' under its Ayurved Prabodhini Granthamala series, specifically designed for postgraduate scholars pursuing MD/MS Ayurveda as per the NCISM curriculum. The textbook contains 21 chapters addressing literature search, research questions, hypotheses, research design, data analysis, ethical considerations, and scientific writing. Developed through a collaborative effort of 34 scientists and 16 faculty members from both Ayush and modern scientific streams, the publication underwent structured drafting, peer review, and phased editorial refinement. This represents CCRAS's first publication in this subject area aimed at building research competency among postgraduate students.