NIPER opens green window for medicinal plants

Mohali, August 2

The Department of Natural Products, NIPER, has started a green window system (GWS) for medicinal plants.

The window was activated by NIPER Director Raghuram Rao Akinnepally here yesterday.

Through the green window, potential/interested domestic users and educational institutions at the school level will be provided selected medicinal plant germplasm for individual use and establishment of small herbal gardens for awareness and generation of interest among young learners regarding the possible use of these plants in healthcare.

Aimed at the dual purpose of benefitting people direct and greening the environment at the same time, the plants will be made available at a nominal cost.

According to the NIPER, medicinal plants constitute an important component of healthcare systems dependent on natural products and have been a subject of intense interest in modern medicine in such diverse areas such as primary healthcare, chronic disease therapies, preventive medicine and lead generation for new chemical entities in modern therapeutics.

The value of medicinal plants in traditional healthcare systems (AYUSH) in India cannot be overemphasised. Hence, popularisation of the use of these plants is an important endeavour of the Government of India being carried out through its entrusted departments and specialised agencies. NIPER, Mohali, since its inception, has been a partner in the cause and has played a significant role in this effort. — OC