CCRAS Signs MoU with Berhampur University to Digitize Rare Ayurvedic Manuscripts
The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), under the Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy), signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in January 2026, with Berhampur University, Berhampur (Odisha), at the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI) for a period of 2 years in Bhubaneswar, Odisha.
Signitaries: The MoU was signed by Geetanjali Das, Vice Chancellor, Berhampur University; Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS; in the presence of B.S. Prasad, Former President, National Council for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM).
Key Details of the MoU:
Purpose: The MoU aims to digitize, catalogue, and publish rare Ayurvedic manuscripts and palm-leaf documents preserved at the South Odisha Cultural Study Centre (SOCSC).
Implementing Agency: The collaboration will be led by the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad (Telangana), which functions as a peripheral unit of CCRAS.
Manuscript Collection: Berhampur University houses over 2,000 palm-leaf manuscripts, which contain unpublished and rare Ayurvedic knowledge, which require careful scientific preservation.
Areas of Collaboration: It includes digitization of Ayurvedic manuscripts, cataloguing and documentation, academic and research collaboration, and promoting traditional knowledge systems using modern technology.