Centre of Excellence on Medicinal Plants

Centre of Excellence on Medicinal Plants

            The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, has set up a Centre of Excellence on Medicinal Plants and Traditional Knowledge at the Foundation for Revitalisation of Local Health Traditions (FRLHT), Bengaluruin September 2002. The objectives of the Centre, which works in project mode, are as under:

              i)      Herbarium of Medicinal Plants and Raw Drugs Repository

             ii)      Pharmocognosy studies

           iii)      Mapping of natural distribution of medicinal plants for prioritization of species, habitats and zones for conservation

           iv)      Ethno-medicinal garden

            v)      Biology of Medicinal Plants

           vi)      Training, Capacity building and Outreach.

            The Ministry released Rs.296.77 lakh during the last three years i.e. 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12 to the Centre and has allocated a sum of Rs 115/- lakh for 2012-13. This was stated by Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests, in the Lok Sabha today, in a written reply to a question by Shri B.Y. Raghavendra, Shri Shivarama Gouda & Shri Nalin Kumar Kateel.

            The Minister further stated that the Ministry of Environment and Forests constituted an Expert Group in January 2012, to review the performance of the Centre from 2007 to 2012. The Group found the progress of the Centre to be satisfactory and suggested the Work Plan for the Centre for the 12^th Plan period. The Group also recommended additional objectives and corresponding budget for the Centre, subject to availability of funds and other necessary approvals during the 12^th Plan. The recommendations of the Group have been endorsed by the Ministry.

RM/RS-  USQ956 - LS

(Release ID :92888)