CCIM Ayurveda Syllabus
This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 Unported, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
Education in the field of Ayurveda is regulated by Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), which came in to the existence by the act of Parliament. The CCIM has already prescribed minimum required standards which are mandatory to all ayurvedic institutions throughout the country for its implementation whether run by State Govt. or Grant in aid Colleges or under private sector. CCIM needs to take initiatives to supervise and scrutiny the existing system of education in Ayurveda which is presently in practice at various Ayurvedic Institutions since CCIM is a regulatory body accountable for maintaining the academic standard. Everywhere minimum 75% attendance is must in each subject for appearing in the examination. But what is happening at ground level? In many of the Institutions record of attendance is maintained only on paper in the attendance register. There is a need to keep the record of part of syllabus covered. The Head of the Institution should get regular feedback from the students about the teachers and their teaching pattern.
Teaching Methodology and Teaching Technology
Teaching methodology and Teaching Technology may be the other area where attention is needed. There is a need for integration between tradition and technology. Ayurvedic Institutions should install Multi Media Projector in each BAMS class room and every departmental seminar room in post-graduate section. Teachers may prepare computerized lecture for effective teaching with its applied aspect for better understanding of the subject. It is praiseworthy that Gujarat Ayurved University (GAU) has resolved to identify subject experts from the state of Gujarat to prepare CDs of various subjects to use as a teaching tool to circulate in Ayurvedic Colleges affiliated to GAU with a view to make academic foundation of students strong at under graduation level. Laboratory research and field research are two important components. Students belonging to the specialty of Roga Nidana and Vikriti Vijnana should come forward and handle laboratory investigations by themselves in Pathology and Bio-Chemistry lab. Similarly students of Panchakarma specialty should perform personally various Panchakarma procedures on patients in Panchakarma theatre. Conduction of the seminar at monthly interval in under graduate section and weekly interval in post-graduate section should be a regular practice in every Ayurvedic Institution. It will help in overall personality development of the student to make him, self-sufficient and confident.
Reforms in Examination
Some mechanism is needed to be evolved for assessment of students at a regular interval as in semester system based examination. The knowledge of the student should be assessed by preparing comprehensive question papers covering the entire syllabus as has been observed in many universities like Dr. S. Radhakrishnan Rajasthan Ayurved University, Jodhpur; Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka, Bangalore; Dr. N. T. R. University of Health Sciences, A. P., Vijayawada by framing sufficient short questions, long questions and essays. The questions may be prepared in such a way so that there is no scope for copying answer by the student, which is a burning problem observed in many Institutions. To make transparency in the evaluation process, decoding method can be adopted by putting dummy numbers as has been in practice at GAU at under graduate and post-graduate level. Valuation at post-graduate level in Rajiv Gandhi University of Health Sciences, Karnataka is praiseworthy, where one answer book is checked separately by all four examiners and its mean is counted for final marking. Further, if there is any significant difference on valuation between examiners then marking is further filtered in very transparent manner to make justice to student.
The CCIM may look into the matter to make uniformity in all institutions whether marks are to be given or not at post-graduate level. In some Institutions marks are given in the figures whereas in some institutions ‘Satisfactory’ and ‘Unsatisfactory’ remarks are given. In Jamnagar based GAU, on marking basis, certain grades are given like ‘Out Standing’(75-100%), ‘Very good’(65-74%), ‘Good’(55-64%), ‘Average’(45-54%) and Fail (below 45%). There is a need to make parity between institution's valuation system and CCIM being authoritative body may issue directives to various Universities and make sure that its guidelines are followed in letter and spirit. Many Universities including GAU arrange for central valuation. On the other hand, many stories can be heard where student approaches the examiner to encourage corrupt practices.
Research Orientation
Newly admitted students to BAMS course have rich computer knowledge to access research information through various web-sites. They need inspiration to have research orientation at under graduate level. Not inspired by their guide many of the post-graduate scholars do not get the opportunity to publish their study in peer reviewed journal. They realize this short coming when they face interview before the Staff Selection Committee. The publication of research paper in a reputed indexed/peer reviewed journal certainly makes the difference and creates an impression before the Experts. But publication should be original and quality based and not merely increasing the quantity of papers. Many of the Institutions are not aware that the constitution of Institutional Ethics Committee (IEC) as per Indian Council of Medical Research guidelines is mandatory and IEC clearance is must for any clinical and experimental study. Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH), Government of India has already taken initiatives in this direction. These studies should be registered under Clinical Trial Registry of India.
Many Head of the Institutions are not sensitive to cater the need of the Journals to College library for teachers and students. These colleges are symbolizing with industry just for milking the money without maintaining any academic standards or required infrastructure. It is admirable that CCIM and the Department of AYUSH, Govt. of India has taken a serious note of this situation and not granted permission for admissions due to lack of facilities and infrastructure, less teaching staff and not having required hospital bed occupancy.
