Review Meeting to examine the draft of National Policy of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (Maps) of India to be held tomorrow

New Delhi, November 22, 2017 : Ministry of AYUSH is organising a day long review meeting on “Draft of National Policy of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (MAPs) of India” tomorrow at Pusa Campus, New Delhi. The Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH Shri Sripad Yesso Naik will address the inaugural session of this meeting. To improve and finalize the proposed draft Policy Document, National Medicinal Plant Board along with Federation of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Stakeholders are jointly organizing the one day review meeting.

Shri Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH; Ms. Shomita Biswas CEO, National Medicinal Plants Board; Mr. Pankaj Asthana, IGF, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change; Ms. Alka Bhargava, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare; Mr. Rajiv Kumar, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology will also be present on this occasion. This will be followed by 8 brainstorming sessions of more than 35 panellists on various topics.

The important areas of Medicinal Plants Sector like Forest & Conservation, Infrastructure, Marketing & Trade, Cultivation, Sustainable Harvesting & Post harvest Management, Quality & Certification, Research & Development, Regulatory & Legal framework, Networking & IT/Space Intervention, Finance and Information, Education & Communication and Capacity Building are proposed to be covered in the 8 sessions by specialists from all over the country.

During the Inaugural session, NMPB will also launch the “Voluntary Certification Scheme of Medicinal Plants Produce (VCSMPP)”, designed by NMPB through Quality Councils of India (QCI).

The main outcome of the excise shall be the final Draft Policy on National Medicinal Plants of India which will be reviewed by the Ministry of AYUSH.