Public Health Research
The Council has taken up various Public Health Research Programmes in order to provide Ayurveda Health care services to the door steps, thus imparting Ayurveda to the grass root level. Presently Council is executing following programmes
- Tribal Health Care Research Programme (THCRP) under the Tribal Sub Plan (TSP)
- Ayurveda Mobile Healthcare Programme (AMHCP) under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP)
- Women and Child Healthcare Programme (WCH) under the Scheduled Caste Sub Plan (SCSP)
Apart from this, healthcare services are also being provided through Ayurveda Health Centres (AHC) in the North East Region.
Objectives
- To provide incidental healthcare services for various disease conditions.
- To create awareness about Health, Hygiene, Nutrition through awareness lectures and distribution of IEC materials & to provide Ayurveda based lifestyle advocacy (Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Pathyaapathya etc.) for maintenance of health and prevention of diseases.
- Documentation of Local Health Traditions (LHT) and folklore practices among Tribal Population through THCRP.
Scientists Working –
| S.No. | Name | Designation |
| 1. | Dr. Deepa Makhija | Assistant Director (Ayurveda) & Programme Officer |
| 2. | Dr. Sunita | Research Officer (Ayurveda) & Nodal Officer |
| 3. | Dr. Kalpana Kachare | Research Officer (Ayurveda) & Nodal Officer |
| 4. | Dr. Ekta | Research Officer (Ayurveda) & Nodal Officer |
Institutes Involved
TRIBAL HEALTH CARE RESEARCH PROGRAMME UNDER TRIBAL SUB PLAN
CCRAS has been executing Tribal Health Care Research programme (THCRP) under Tribal Sub Plan (TSP) in identified Tribal dominated villages since 1982. Currently the programme is being carried out in 14 states though 14 CCRAS institutes.
Health care services have been delivered to 617,856 beneficiaries, and 1,995 LHTs/Folk claims have been documented since 2014-15.
Institutes involved
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Bhubaneswar.
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Bangalore.
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Guwahati.
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Gwalior.
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Jaipur
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Vijayawada.
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Nagpur
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Patna
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Jammu
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Chennai
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Ahmadabad
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Gangtok
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Portblair
- Regional Ayurveda Research Centre, Agartala
Beneficiaries:
| Year | No. of states | Villages covered | Population Surveyed for health-related demography | Health care services provided | LHT documented | |
| ST | Total | |||||
| 2014-15 | 14 | 236 | 65670 | 18420 | 22394 | 154 |
| 2015-16 | 14 | 340 | 108311 | 36035 | 43153 | 263 |
| 2016-17 | 16 | 310 | 113073 | 40409 | 46342 | 189 |
| 2017-18 | 15 | 262 | 124500 | 47181 | 57078 | 217 |
| 2018-19 | 15 | 216 | 127683 | 52513 | 62418 | 208 |
| 2019-20 | 15 | 165 | 121005 | 52133 | 59744 | 219 |
| 2020-21 | 15 | 127 | 113080 | 44493 | 50027 | 223 |
| 2021-22 | 14 | 150 | 83146 | 42043 | 46030 | 126 |
| 2022-23 | 14 | 99 | 92729 | 66386 | 74792 | 130 |
| 2023-24 | 14 | 120 | 56770 | 71895 | 82833 | 136 |
| 2024-25 | 14 | 82 | – | 60418 | 73045 | 130 |
| TOTAL | 2107 | 1005967 | 531926 | 617856 | 1995 | |
Research studies
| Project Code | Project | Status |
| 2020-21 | ||
| ITH0001 | A prospective open label controlled interventional study on the effect of Ayurvedic intervention (Ayurveda Raksha Kit) as a prophylactic measure in the Pandemic of COVID-19 – A community based study | Completed |
| 2021-22 | ||
| ITH0002 | Documentation of role of select Ayurveda formation in moderate Iron Deficiency Anemia – A prospective community-based study | Completed |
| ITH0003 | A prospective community-based study for the evaluation of Yograj Guggulu, Aswagandha Churna & Narayana Taila in Osteoarthritis Knee | Completed |
| ITH0004 | Effectiveness of Ayurveda based diet and Lifestyle advocacy on health related Quality of life in scheduled Tribe population in India- a Community based, cluster randomized controlled study | Completed |
| ITH0005 | Impact of Ayu Raksha Kit (ARK) in COVID-19 Community Based Prophylactic Study | Completed |
| 2022-23 | ||
| ITH0006 | Evaluation of Effectiveness and tolerability of select Ayurveda formulations in moderate Iron Deficiency Anemia – A randomized controlled trial | Completed |
| ITH0007 | Effect of Ayush SR on psychological status and Quality of life of apparently healthy elderly population – A multicenter double blind placebo-controlled study | Completed |
| ITH0008 | Cross-sectional survey to determine the prevalence of Non-communicable Diseases (NCD) and their risk factor among Scheduled Tribes in selected states across India | Completed |
| 2023-24 | ||
| ITH0009 | Effectiveness of composite Ayurveda regimen in a black box design for the management of Rheumatoid Arthritis- A community based study | Completed |
| IPH0001 | Effectiveness of Ayush Rasayan A & B on Quality of Life of elderly population – A cluster randomized study | Completed |
| 2024-25 | ||
| ITH0010 | Assessment of acceptability of the Comprehensive Ayurveda-based health care (CABHA) approach in the tribal community and effectiveness of individualized health care – Cluster randomized study | Completed |
| 2025-26 | ||
| IPH0002 | Documentation of ethno-dietary practices indigenous to India | Ongoing |
| IPH0003 | Documentation of plants, metals, minerals, animal products and other materials used in various indigenous religious practices and rituals across India | Ongoing |
Collaborative Research Project
| Project Code | Project | Status |
| CTH0001 | An Ayurvedic intervention as an add on for prevention of acute pain crises in Sickle Cell Anaemia (under TSP)- IMR-Collaborative Project | Ongoing |
Publications
- Research Oriented Public Health Care Services – THCRP SERIES-I. Health related demography of the Tribes of Rajasthan. Technical Report (districts: Jaipur, Udaipur, Sirohi, Pratapgarh, Banaswara, Dungarpur). New Delhi: CCRAS, Ministry of AYUSH; 2018. ISBN: 978-93-83964-36-2.
- Local Health Traditions (LHTs), Oral Health Traditions (OHTs) and Ethno-Medicinal Practices (EMPs). New Delhi: CCRAS, Ministry of AYUSH; 2021. ISBN: 978-81-948978-7-3.
- Research Oriented Health Care Services – Glimpses of CCRAS contributions (50 glorious years). Volume V. New Delhi: CCRAS, Ministry of AYUSH; 2018. p. 6–57. ISBN: 978-93-83864-33-1.
- Local health traditions (LHTs), oral health traditions (OHTs), and ethno-medicinal practices (EMPs): Methodical approach and critical appraisal to establish novelty and uniqueness. J Drug Res Ayurvedic Sci. 2021 Apr–Jun;6(2):117–118. DOI: 10.4103/jdras.jdras_82_21.
- Cross-sectional study of demographic and health status of the scheduled tribe population in selected panchayat areas of Kallakurichi district, Tamil Nadu. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2025;12(4):1718–1726. DOI: 10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20250917.
- Evaluation of Yograj Guggulu, Ashwagandha Churna and Narayana Taila in management of Osteoarthritis Knee: A study in tribal dominant community-Journal of Ayurvedic and Integrative Medicine 16 (2025) 101077 -https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jaim.2024.101077
- Health and demographic profile of scheduled tribes in selected areas of Thiruvallur and Thiruvannamalai districts, Tamil Nadu: A cross-sectional study. Int J Ayurvedic Med. 2025;16(1):94–99. DOI: 10.47552/ijam.v16i1.5698.
- A cross-sectional study on socio-demographic status and status of non-communicable diseases among tribal community of Tamia block in Chhindwara district. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2025;12(10):4531-7. doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20253249.
- Sociodemographic status and health profile of scheduled tribes in West Tripura and Sepahijala district of Tripura, India: an observational study. Int J Community Med Public Health. 2025;12(10):4493-9. doi:10.18203/2394-6040.ijcmph20253243.
AYURVEDA MOBILE HEALTH CARE PROGRAMME UNDER SCHEDULED CASTE SUB PLAN
Ayurveda Mobile Health Care Programme under Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) was initiated in 2015. Currently, this programme is being executed in identified SC dominated villages/blocks of 14 states through 15 peripheral institutes of CCRAS.
Health care services have been delivered to 10,55,813 beneficiaries since 2015-16.
Institutes involved
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, New Delhi
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Cheruthuruthy
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Bhubaneswar
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Kolkata
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Patiala
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Mumbai
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Guwahati
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Gwalior
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Vijayawada
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Nagpur
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Gangtok
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Jammu
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Ahmedabad
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Bengaluru
- Achanta Lakshmipathi Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Chennai
Beneficiaries:
| Year | No. of tour | No. of Villages covered | Population Surveyed for health-related demography | Healthcare services provided | |
| SC | Total | ||||
| 2015-16 | 685 | 105 | 51001 | 18081 | 24251 |
| 2016-17 | 3028 | 220 | 154286 | 78870 | 110550 |
| 2017-18 | 4781 | 193 | 207576 | 114377 | 149071 |
| 2018-19 | 4744 | 162 | 216175 | 120907 | 151669 |
| 2019-20 | 4687 | 135 | 204578 | 111775 | 130850 |
| 2020-21 | 3172 | 125 | 161668 | 82822 | 101119 |
| 2021-22 | 3553 | 110 | 120139 | 67788 | 84530 |
| 2022-23 | 4436 | 112 | 123052 | 99652 | 128235 |
| 2023-24 | 3207 | 99 | 57356 | 76992 | 100613 |
| 2024-25 | 2985 | 106 | 7388 | 60504 | 74925 |
| Total | 35278 | 1367 | 1303219 | 831768 | 1055813 |
Research studies
| Project Code | Project | Status |
| 2021-22 | ||
| IAM0001 | A prospective community based study for the evaluation of Punarnavadi Mandura in Anemia (AMHCP 2021-22) | Completed |
| IAM0002 | A prospective community based study for the evaluation of YograjGuggulu, Ashwagandha Churna and Narayana Taila in Osteoarthritis Knee | Completed |
| IAM0003 | Effectiveness of Ayurveda based diet and Lifestyle advocacy on health related Quality of life in scheduled Caste population in India- a Community based, cluster randomized controlled study | Completed |
| IAM0004 | Clinical evaluation of efficacy of Ashwagandha on Quality of life in Geriatric Population- Prospective Double-blind placebo controlled study | Completed |
| IAM0005 | A prophylactic community based study to assess the impact of Ayu Raksha Kit (AMHCP 2021-22) | Completed |
| 2022-23 | ||
| IAM0006 | Cross sectional survey to determine the prevalence of Non-communicable Diseases and their risk factors among scheduled castes in selected states across India | Completed |
| IAM0007 | Evaluation of efficacy and tolerability of select Ayurveda formulations in moderate Iron Deficiency Anemia – A randomized controlled trial | Completed |
| IAM0008 | A randomized placebo controlled trial of Ayush SR in Perceived stress | Completed |
| 2023-24 | ||
| IPH0001 | Effectiveness of Ayush Rasayana A & B on Quality of Life of elderly population- A cluster randomized study | Completed |
| 2024-25 | ||
| IAM0010 | Acceptability of the comprehensive Ayurveda-based health care approach in the community and effectiveness of individualized health care – Cluster randomized study | Completed |
| 2025-26 | ||
| IPH0002 | Documentation of ethno-dietary practices indigenous to India | Ongoing |
| IPH0003 | Documentation of plants, metals, minerals, animal products and other materials used in various indigenous religious practices and rituals across India | Ongoing |
Publications
- Research oriented public health care services – SCSP series I: Health related demography of the Scheduled Caste population (Kamrup district), Assam. New Delhi: CCRAS, Ministry of Ayush; 2018. ISBN: 978-93-83864-37-9.
- Health related demography of the Schedule cast population (Patiala district), Punjab Ayurveda Mobile Health Care Programme under Schedule Caste Sub Plan 2015-2017. Year of publication -2019. ISBN: 978-81-941489-3-7.
- Effectiveness of Ayush Rasayana A and B on the Quality of Life of Older Adults: Protocol for a Cluster Randomized Controlled Trial. JMIR Res Protoc. 2024 Nov 11;13:e58186. doi: 10.2196/58186.
- Effectiveness of composite Ayurveda regimen in a black box design for the management of rheumatoid arthritis: protocol of a single arm, community-based study. JMIR Res Protoc. 2025 Feb 18;14:e57918. doi: 10.2196/57918.
- A Cross Sectional Study on The Health-Related Demography of The Scheduled Caste (SC) Population in Selected Areas of Thiruvananthapuram District, Kerala State, India. Int J Relig. 2024 Aug;5(11):6554–65. doi: 10.61707/wxstsj54.
- Cross-sectional study for profiling health status, health-related demographics, and health-seeking behaviour of the Scheduled Caste Population in selected areas of Chennai and Chengalpet Districts of Tamil Nadu. Int J Ayurvedic Med. 2024;15(3):730–8. doi: 10.47552/ijam.v15i3.5257.
- A community-based study for evaluation of Ayurvedic formulations in the management of Osteoarthritis Knee. Int J Ayurvedic Med. 2024;15(4):1029–36. doi: 10.47552/ijam.v15i4.5021.
WOMEN AND CHILD HEALTH CARE PROGRAMME UNDER SCHEDULED CASTE SUB PLAN
Women and Child HealthCare Programme under Scheduled Castes Sub Plan (SCSP) was initiated in 2018. Currently, this programme is being executed in identified SC dominated villages/blocks of 10 states through 10 peripheral institutes of CCRAS.
Health care services have been delivered to 3,99,036 beneficiaries since 2018-19.
Institutes involved
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute,Bhubaneswar.
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute,Patiala.
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute,Guwahati.
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute,Lucknow.
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute,Jaipur
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute,Nagpur..
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute,Trivandrum
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute,Patna
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute,Mandi
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute,Ahmedabad.
Beneficiaries:
| Year | No. of tour | No. of Villages covered | Population Surveyed for health-related demography | Health care services provided | |||||
| SC patients | Total patients | ||||||||
| Women | Children | Total | Women | Children | Total | ||||
| 2018-19 | 887 | 95 | 29372 | 8332 | 1774 | 10106 | 10287 | 2158 | 12445 |
| 2019-20 | 4382 | 101 | 137558 | 55964 | 11784 | 67748 | 65237 | 13531 | 78768 |
| 2020-21 | 1131 | 40 | 35428 | 19432 | 7446 | 26878 | 22654 | 8224 | 30878 |
| 2021-22 | 1755 | 70 | 60259 | 32552 | 9568 | 42120 | 39918 | 10903 | 50821 |
| 2022-23 | 2188 | 69 | 61083 | 39682 | 8570 | 48252 | 58213 | 10681 | 68894 |
| 2023-24 | 2112 | 57 | 38406 | 44155 | 10012 | 54167 | 61939 | 12800 | 74739 |
| 2024-25 | 2263 | 59 | 0 | 53255 | 10468 | 63723 | 69446 | 13045 | 82491 |
| Total | 14718 | 491 | 362106 | 253372 | 59622 | 312994 | 327694 | 71342 | 399036 |
Research studies
| Project Code | Project | Status |
| 2021-22 | ||
| IWC0001 | A prospective community based study for the evaluation of Rajapravartani Vati in the Management of Primary Dysmenorhoea | Completed |
| IWC0002 | Effectiveness of Ayurveda based diet and Lifestyle advocacy on health related Quality of life in Women’s of schedule Caste population in India- a Community based, cluster randomized controlled study | Completed |
| 2022-23 | ||
| IWC0003 | Cross sectional survey to determine the prevalence of Non Communicable Diseases and their risk factors among women belonging to scheduled castes across India | Completed |
| IWC0004 | Placebo-controlled randomized trial of Ayush SR in Post Menopausal Syndrome | Completed |
| 2023-24 | ||
| IWC0005 | Effectiveness of Rajapravartani Vati and Saraswatarishta in Dysmenorhoea – A prospective community based study | Completed |
| 2024-25 | ||
| IWC0006 | A cross-sectional community-based study on knowledge, attitudes, and practices (KAP) related to menstruation among women of reproductive age | Completed |
| IWC0007 | Effect of Ayurveda-based Advocacy on Knowledge, attitudes, and Practices related to menstruation among women of reproductive age- A community-based study | Completed |
| 2025-26 | ||
| IPH0002 | Documentation of ethno-dietary practices indigenous to India | Ongoing |
| IPH0003 | Documentation of plants, metals, minerals, animal products and other materials used in various indigenous religious practices and rituals across India | Ongoing |
Publications
- An observational study to assess the demographic status and health-seeking behavior of SC women and children in Bhubaneswar Block of Odisha. Journal of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences 5(4):p 164-172, Oct–Dec 2021. | DOI: 10.4103/jras.jras_19_21
- An observational study on health-related demography of women and children belonging to scheduled caste population in selected areas of Thiruvananthapuram district of Kerala state, India. Journal of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences 5(1):p 26-35, Jan–Mar 2021. | DOI: 10.4103/jras.jras_34_21
- Evaluation of Rajapravartani Vati and Saraswatarishta in dysmenorrhea: A study protocol for a single-arm, multicenter, and community-based study. Journal of Research in Ayurvedic Sciences 8(4):p 193-200, July-August 2024. | DOI: 10.4103/jras.jras_124_24
AYURVEDIC HEALTH CARE CENTERS – AHC IN NORTH EAST
Health care services are being provided through Ayurvedic Health Care Centres (AHC) in North East since 2016. Currently the programme is being carried out through 19 AHCs in 04 states though 04 CCRAS institutes. (CARI Guwahati-07AHC, RARI Itanagar-05AHC, RARI Gangtok-03AHC & RARC Tripura-04 AHC).
The Objectives of the programme are to provide health care services through OPDs, to provide Ayurveda based lifestyle advocacy (Dinacharya, Ritucharya, Pathyaapathya etc.) for maintenance of health & prevention of diseases and to generate awareness about health, hygiene &nutrition.
Health care services have been delivered to 8,15,350 beneficiaries, have been documented since 2016-17.
Institutes involved
- Central Ayurveda Research Institute, Guwahati (07 AHC)
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Itanagar (05 AHC)
- Regional Ayurveda Research Institute, Gangtok (03 AHC)
- Regional Ayurveda Research Center, Agartala/Tripura (02 AHC)
19 AHC
Beneficiaries
| S.No. | Year | No. of Beneficiaries |
| 1. | 2016-17 | 23341 |
| 2. | 2017-18 | 106611 |
| 3. | 2018-19 | 125191 |
| 4. | 2019-20 | 141876 |
| 5. | 2020-21 | 91337 |
| 6. | 2021-22 | 67418 |
| 7. | 2022-23 | 89573 |
| 8. | 2023-24 | 80304 |
| 9. | 2024-25 | 89699 |
| Total | 815350 | |
Research studies
| Project Code | Project | Status | ||
| 2021-22 | ||||
| IAH0001 | Demographic and Non communicable Disease profiling among patients seeking Ayurveda treatment from Ayurveda health center in selected North east regions in India – A descriptive , Cross sectional study | Completed | ||
| IAH0002 | Effectiveness of Ayurveda based diet & lifestyle advocacies and Ayurvedic treatment regimen in patients seeking Ayurvedic treatment from Ayurveda health center in selected North east region of India | Completed | ||
| 2022-23 | ||||
| IAH0003 | Non-Communicable Diseases and associated factors among health seekers approaching the selected Ayurveda health centers in Northeast India | Completed | ||
| IAH0004 | A prospective randomized controlled study to evaluate the efficacy of Ayurveda interventions in knee osteoarthritis | Completed | ||
| 2025-26 | ||||
| IAH0005 | A cross-sectional study on Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) related to menstruation among school going adolescent girls in North Eastern Region | Ongoing | ||
| IPH0002 | Documentation of ethno-dietary practices indigenous to India | Ongoing | ||
| IPH0003 | Documentation of plants, metals, minerals, animal products and other materials used in various indigenous religious practices and rituals across India | Ongoing | ||
Nationwide Health Screening Initiative of CCRAS for EMRS Students under MoU between Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Tribal Affairs
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, has initiated a large-scale health project titled “General Health Screening with Special Focus on Selected Disease Conditions (Tuberculosis, Anemia, Sickle Cell Disease & Malnutrition) and Ayurveda Management of Anemia & Malnutrition in Students of Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS)” (Project Code: CPH0001).
The project is being implemented under the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and the Ministry of Ayush, with key stakeholders including CCRAS, National Education Society for Tribal Students (NESTS), Ekalavya Model Residential Schools (EMRS), and ICMR–National Institute for Research in Tribal Health (ICMR–NIRTH), Jabalpur.
The Project is being executed across 14 states of India through 16 CCRAS institutes in collaboration with ICMR–NIRTH, Jabalpur. Through this project, around 25,000 EMRS students will undergo comprehensive health screening focusing on Anemia, Malnutrition, Sickle Cell Disease, Thalassemia, and Tuberculosis. In addition, Ayurveda-based interventions will be provided for Anemia, Malnutrition, and common ailments, and Ayurveda based lifestyle advocacy will also be provided to the students.
This landmark initiative underscores the Government’s commitment to integrating Ayurveda and traditional knowledge into national health programs for the welfare of tribal communities and the next generation.