Government plans to develop Nisarg Gram Campus in Pune

To provide medical services to the rural poor, Mahatma Gandhi initiated a nature cure hospital at the ‘Nisarg Upchar’ Ashram in a small village near Pune, Urli kanchan. He founded the All India Nature Cure Foundation trust on November 18, 1945 and launched the ‘Nature Cure campaign’ in 1946.

Key Points

  • The Foundation was subsequently taken over by the Central Government and at present it is structured in the form of the National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN).
  • NIN is an autonomous body under the Ministry of AYUSH.
  • Ministry of AYUSH has declared November 18, the day when Mahatma Gandhi founded the institution, as Naturopathy Day.
  • Mahatma Gandhi had written many books and articles on nature cure comprising Nature Cure, Key to Health, Diet and Diet Reforms, and Vegetarianism.

Government to develop Nisarg Gram Campus in Pune

  • Recently, the Ministry of AYUSH announced to develop a new campus of National Institute of Naturopathy (NIN) campus in Pune.
  • The upcoming campus will be known as ‘Nisarg Gram’. It will be located 15 km from the present NIN campus at Bapu Bhavan.
  • The new curriculum of this campus will be prepared as per the National Education Policy, 2020. Bachelors and Masters in Naturopathy will be the major programmes offered at the campus. These courses will not only involve academic activities but also provide exposure to students in different streams like skill and ability enhancement.
  • Doctoral program in Naturopathy is also proposed in Nisarg Gram campus; it will be the first of its kind Doctoral program and will provide a boost to Naturopathy and Yoga in the country.
  • Both teachers and students will stay at the same campus which gives it a touch of what we call “Gurukul”.
  • The institute will also collaborate with research institutions to internship, training and mentoring.

Naturopathy

It is an alternative medicine which employs pseudoscientific or natural methods rather than modern medical practices. The word “naturopathy” also actually means “natural healing”.