INTRODUCTION INTRODUCTION The Indian System of Medicine is ...

Medicinal Plants and Good Field Collection
Practices for the collection of medicinal plants.
(xii) Voluntary Certification Scheme for
Medicinal Plants
The National Medicinal Plants Board has
developed the Certification Standards and
Procedures and Scheme of Certification through
Quality Council of India (QCI), Under the
Scheme, any producer / collector / group of
producers or collectors can obtain a certification
from a designated Certification Body (CB) and
will be under regular surveillance of the
certification body. An option of getting a lot
inspected and certified has also been made in
the Scheme. It also allows certification of
intermediaries like traders who may source
certified medicinal plant material and supply
further. The certification process in general
would cover following steps viz. Registration of
Application, Evaluation(s) at the site, Testing of
sample(s), Grant of Certificate, Periodic
Surveillance Evaluation, Market sampling and
Renewal of certificate.
The Voluntary Certification in the field of
Medicinal Plants Sector would go a long way in
improving the quality of raw material to Ayurveda,
Siddha and Unani industry and other sister
industries.
• As can be seen from the above, over the
years NMPB has striven to address some of the
issues related to medicinal plants, however a lot
still needs to be done. This is sought to be done
during the 12 th Plan through specific interventions
like establishing Medicinal Plants Processing
Clusters (MPPC), Building a mechanism for
Minimum Support Price (MSP) to medicinal plants,
strengthening and modernizing the supply chain of
medicinal plants,, increased support for
cultivation of medicinal plants, developing
collection clusters with a view to providing year
round employment to people, creating market
channels and market information services,
capacity building of all the stakeholders etc.
• Expected outcomes and deliverables for
intended changes in 12 th Plan
• Making available Quality raw material for
AYUSH and Herbal Industry at
competitive prices
• Upgrading, modernizing of Medicinal
Plants supply chain
• Developing India as a hub for processing
of medicinal plants
• India emerging as a global leader in the
sector in terms of market share,
knowledge hub and repository of
medicinal plants
• Assuring sustainable livelihood systems
based on medicinal plants for farmers
and collectors
• Ensuring effective and efficient
conservation of important medicinal
plants upto their geno-types
• Increasing the numbers of much needed
technically qualified human resources
• Enhancing the acceptability of Indian
medicinal plants products both in
domestic and global markets
• Development of supply sources for 25%
high-volume species in trade for ASU
industry purposes and to cover 50% of
demand volumes
• Enhancement of global market share
from current level of 6.67 % to 10%
(among top 10 exporting countries)
• Protecting associated TK.
D. RESEARCH COUNCILS:
The Central Council for Research in
Indian Medicine and Homoeopathy (CCRIMH)
was established in 1969 to carry out research in
Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Yoga and
Homoeopathy under the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare. Later, in 1978, this composite
Council was dissolved to pave the way for the
formation of four independent Research
Councils, one each for Ayurveda and Siddha,
Unani, Homoeopathy and Yoga and Naturopathy.
The four successor Research Councils were
established as autonomous organizations
registered under Societies Act, to initiate, guide,
develop and coordinate scientific research, both
fundamental and applied, in different aspects of
their respective systems. The Research
Councils, which are fully financed by the
Government of India, are the apex bodies for
scientific research in the concerned systems of
medicine. The research activities of the Research
Councils are monitored and reviewed periodically
in order to ensure that the research is focused
and that it is undertaken in a time bound manner.
The outputs of the research studies are
disseminated among educationists, researchers,
physicians, manufacturers and the common man.
(i) Central Council for Research in Ayurveda
Sciences (CCRAS):
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