NEW DELHI: Parliament on Wednesday passed a bill to accord the status of an institution of national importance to a Jamnagar-based cluster of Ayurveda institutes.
The Bill - 'The Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda Bill, 2020' - was passed by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha.
Lok Sabha has already approved the bill in the last session, in which three Jamnagar, Gujarat-based institutes -- Institute of Post Graduate Teaching and Research in Ayurveda, Gulabkunwerba Ayurveda Mahavidyalaya and Institute of Ayurveda Pharmaceutical Sciences --would be conglomerated.
Union health minister Harsh Vardhan expressed appreciation for Ayurveda and its usefulness for the society and also for strengthening the healthcare systems of the world.
"Ayurveda is an ancient system of medicine in the country with so much of traditional wisdom attached," he said and added that under the 'Atmanirbhar Bharat', the government has approved Rs 4000 crore for cultivation of medicinal plants and supporting farmers.
He said the selection of the Jamnagar institute was not "arbitrary" but it was chosen in a most objective manner being one of the oldest institutes under the category, established in 1956.
It was the oldest collaborating centre with WHO in Ayurveda and has imparted training to students from 65 countries in 20 years, he said and added that the institute has inked 30 pacts with different countries in the last 20 years.
The proposed institute would have a 15-member committee including the Minister of Ayush, Secretary of Ayush and Secretary of Health & Family Welfare of the Gujarat Government, along with three MPs in which two would be from Lok Sabha and one from Rajya Sabha.

Kia Motors Corporation has shared a glimpse of its global electric vehicle (EV) business strategy on Tuesday, revealing an early multiple sketches of Battery Electric Vehicles (BEVs).
The Korean carmakers revealed seven dedicated BEVs in the sketch, which the company is planning to launch by 2027.
“Kia has sold more than 100,000 BEVs worldwide since the introduction of our first mass-produced BEV in 2011, the Kia Ray EV, " said Kia President and CEO Ho Sung Song. "Since then, we have started to introduce a range of new BEVs for global markets and announced plans to accelerate this process in the years ahead. By refocusing our business on electrification, we are aiming for BEVs to account for 25 percent of our total worldwide sales by 2029.”
Under Kia’s ‘Plan S’ strategy, announced at the start of 2020, the brand plans to expand its BEV line-up to 11 models by 2025. Over the same period, Kia is aiming for BEVs to account for 20 per cent of the brand’s total vehicle sales in advanced markets, including Korea, North America and Europe.

The first of these BEVs, code-named CV, will be revealed in 2021 as the brand’s first dedicated BEV, destined for many regions globally. The new model will offer the same competitive product quality and eye-catching design as Kia’s other vehicles, with high-performance driving and recharging characteristics, the carmakers informed.
Earlier in January, Kia Motors unveiled its ‘Plan S’ mid- to long-term future strategy, outlining the brand’s plans to transition its future businesses to focus on BEVs and mobility solutions.
Kia Motors is undergoing a company-wide transformation in order to realize ‘Plan S’. The CV model, due to launch in 2021, will encapsulate the brand’s attitude towards innovation and change, presenting a new design direction that signifies Kia’s transition to an EV-focused business strategy.
Kia is innovating its vehicle planning, development and production to actively reflect diverse customer needs from the product planning stage. Kia is planning to respond to market demands by offering diversified product types, with a range of models suitable for urban centers, long-range journeys, and performance driving. Furthermore, by adapting its new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), Kia will be able to offer vehicles with best-in-class interior spaciousness.

Kia Motors is also seeking to innovate its sales practices for EVs. The brand is exploring the creation of subscription services to offer a diversified buying option for customers, as well as EV battery leasing and rental programs, and other ‘second-life’ battery-related businesses.
In addition, Kia Motors plans to expand its global after service infrastructure for EVs. Kia aims to increase its number of dedicated EV work bays in Korea to 1,200 by 2030. In other markets worldwide, Kia will increase its number of EV work bays to 600 by the end of this year, and more than 2,000 by 2023. Kia also plans to develop its own programs to train EV maintenance professionals.
Kia sees the expansion of electric charging infrastructures as a pre-condition for the popularization of EVs and continues to explore activities worldwide to improve charging accessibility for drivers.
In Korea, Kia will strengthen business activities that directly lead to the construction of a charging infrastructure. Initially this will rely on its existing network of nationwide sales branches, dealerships and service centers, with Kia aiming to supply around 1,500 EV chargers by 2030. Furthermore, Hyundai Motor Group will install 120 Ultra-Fast Chargers by 2021 in urban centers and along twelve highways linking eight provinces across the country.
Worldwide, Kia is establishing more than 2,400 EV chargers in Europe and around 500 in North America, partnering with its dealer networks. Kia plans to continue to increase its charging infrastructure in line with the growing market for EVs.
Furthermore, Kia is striving to secure a comprehensive charging infrastructure for customers through strategic alliances, starting with a strategic investment in IONITY, a European company specializing in high-speed EV charging, in September last year. Kia is also seeking charging infrastructure partners for the US and China to provide an optimized infrastructure tailored to conditions in each market, while strengthening cooperation to leverage new charging technologies.