The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) has wrapped up its Internship Programme on Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Ayush systems, as announced by the Ministry of Ayush. The program, held from December 15 to January 30, aimed to enhance the use of information technology and data-driven approaches in Ayush research. It provided an interactive learning environment for interns to blend traditional Ayush concepts with modern computational tools.
Prof. Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General (DG) of CCRAS, emphasized the strategic significance of AI in advancing the Ayush sector. He also outlined CCRAS’s current initiatives in this domain, suggesting that the applications developed during the internship should be further validated and scaled through structured implementation projects.
A total of 180 applications were received for the internship, with 33 students selected after a rigorous screening process. These participants engaged in various AI-enabled projects, such as medicinal plant research, bioinformatics, Prakriti assessment, medical imaging, posture detection, and optical character recognition (OCR) of manuscripts. The projects aligned with CCRAS’s broader goals of digital documentation, evidence generation, and technology-driven validation of traditional knowledge systems.
Mentored by domain experts, the interns were encouraged to innovate, think critically, and solve practical problems. The mentors lauded the interns’ efforts and stressed the increasing importance of emerging technologies in bolstering evidence-based research in Ayush systems. The Ministry highlighted that the internship program underscores CCRAS’s dedication to capacity building, innovation, and institutional strengthening by involving young talent and promoting advanced technologies in Ayush research and development.
The Ministry anticipates that this initiative will help establish a robust research ecosystem and further the long-term objective of integrating Ayush through evidence-based and technology-driven approaches.
