WHO Designation of CCRAS-NIIMH as Collaborating Centre

Published On:

Why in News: The National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad, has been designated as a WHO Collaborating Centre for "Fundamental and Literary Research in Traditional Medicine" by the World Health Organization.

NIIMH, under the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, is the first institute to receive this designation for fundamental and literary research in traditional medicine.

The recognition is for a period of four years, starting from June 3, 2024. NIIMH's achievements include various digital initiatives, such as the AMAR Portal and SAHI Portal, and housing significant historical manuscripts and artefacts.

The institute will aid WHO in standardizing traditional medicine terminologies and updating the Traditional Medicine Module for ICD-11, supporting global research methodologies in traditional medicine.

DRDO's AI Tool Development

Why in News: Ingenious Research Solutions Pvt Ltd., a woman-led start-up, has developed an AI tool named ‘Divya Drishti’ for personal identification under DRDO's Technology Development Fund.

The AI tool, ‘Divya Drishti,’ integrates face recognition with physiological parameters like gait and skeleton for robust biometric authentication.

This innovation minimizes false positives and identity fraud, and has applications in Defence, Law Enforcement, Corporate, and Public Infrastructure. Developed with guidance from DRDO's Centre for Artificial Intelligence & Robotics (CAIR), the tool represents a significant advancement in identification technology.

CSIR-ASPIRE Scheme and Bio economy

Why in News: The Union Minister announced that 300 women scientists will receive research grants for three years under the CSIR-ASPIRE scheme.

The CSIR-ASPIRE scheme, launched on International Women’s Day, received around 3000 proposals, with 301 research proposals selected for support.

Additionally, it highlights the importance of biomanufacturing and bio-foundry in driving India's future bioeconomy and green growth, noting the significant growth of India’s bio-economy from $10 billion in 2014 to over $130 billion in 2024.

The initiatives underscore the government's commitment to supporting women in science, promoting sustainable practices, and advancing India's bioeconomy.