J&K Government to Revive Ayurvedic College Closed in 1981

Jammu: The Government Ayurvedic College, which was shut in 1981, is all set to be revived, with the Jammu and Kashmir government aiming to start academic activities from the current academic session, state Minister for Health and Medical Education Bali Bhagat said.

According to state health department officials, the project coming up at an estimated cost of Rs 25.80 crore at Sangani-Akhnoor is at the final stage and likely to be finished during the current fiscal. Till date, Rs 19 crore has been spent on various works, they said. The Government Ayurvedic College in Jammu, the only such institute in the state, was established in 1962.

The college was closed in 1981, but the Government Ayurvedic hospital continues to function.

"In view of increasing popularity and demand for AYUSH treatment, the government has decided to give appropriate recognition to this vital area of traditional healthcare, and the academic activities (at the Government Ayurvedic college) will be started from the current session with 50 BAMS seats," Bhagat said.

The minister, who chaired a high-level meeting on Thursday, to discuss the modalities for starting the first batch of the Bachelor of Ayurveda, Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) at the college, said issues relating to revival of the college vis-a-vis arrangements of faculty, candidate selection, infrastructural facilities and hostel were discussed.

He directed that all formalities are finalised and bottlenecks cleared at the earliest to ensure starting of the BAMS course from the current academic session itself.

Bhagat is scheduled to meet Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare Jai Prakash Nadda and high-level functionaries of the AYUSH Ministry on August 2 in Delhi to discuss revival of the college and the ministry's support in the matter, an official spokesperson said.

The minister said the matter with regard to the selection of 50 candidates has been taken up with the Board of Professional Entrance Examinations authorities for starting of first batch of BAMS course in this college from the current session.