In a significant step towards preserving and promoting India’s rich medical heritage, the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Ministry of Ayush, and Berhampur University, Odisha, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to digitize, catalogue and publish rare Ayurvedic manuscripts and palm-leaf documents housed at the South Odisha Cultural Study Centre (SOCSC), Berhampur University.

The MoU signing ceremony was held at the Central Ayurveda Research Institute (CARI), Bhubaneswar, in the august presence of Prof. Geetanjali Das, Honourable Vice Chancellor, Berhampur University; Prof. (Vaidya) Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS, New Delhi; and Prof. B.S. Prasad, Former President, National Council for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM).

The collaborative project will be spearheaded by the National Institute of Indian Medical Heritage (NIIMH), Hyderabad, a peripheral institute of CCRAS.

Bridging Ancient Wisdom with Modern Technology
Berhampur University preserves a distinguished collection of over 2,000 palm-leaf manuscripts, many of which contain invaluable Ayurvedic knowledge that remains unpublished and inaccessible to researchers. Under this partnership, CCRAS-NIIMH will deploy advanced digitization techniques to conserve these fragile manuscripts and ensure their availability for future generations.

Key Highlights of the Collaboration
Comprehensive Digitization: Rare Ayurvedic manuscripts, books and periodicals will be digitized, with digital copies shared with Berhampur University.
Descriptive Cataloguing: A detailed catalogue titled “Descriptive Catalogue of Ayurveda Manuscripts of SOCSC-BU, Odisha” will be prepared, incorporating 44 standardized data fields to facilitate academic research.
Global Accessibility: The catalogue metadata will be hosted on the AMAR Portal, providing worldwide access to scholars and researchers.
Research and Publication: Selected manuscripts will undergo transcription, transliteration and translation into modern languages, enabling integration of ancient Ayurvedic knowledge into contemporary medical research.

Institutional Commitment
Speaking on the occasion, Prof. (Vaidya) Rabinarayan Acharya, Director General, CCRAS, stated that the initiative is part of a national mission to systematically document, validate and disseminate India’s traditional knowledge systems using modern scientific tools.
Prof. Geetanjali Das, Vice Chancellor, Berhampur University, emphasized that the collaboration will not only ensure the physical preservation of rare manuscripts but also elevate the university’s role as a global centre for cultural and medical heritage studies.

Project Duration and Ethical Framework
The MoU will initially be valid for two years. Both institutions have committed to strict confidentiality and intellectual property protocols. While the manuscripts will remain under the custodianship of Berhampur University, their scholarly content will be responsibly shared for public benefit.
The programme is being coordinated by Dr. M.M. Rao, Director, CARI Bhubaneswar; Dr. Sarada Ota, Assistant Director (Ay.), CARI Bhubaneswar; and Dr. Santosh Mane, Research Officer (Ay.), NIIMH Hyderabad, in the gracious presence of officers and staff of CARI Bhubaneswar, along with officials and dignitaries from Berhampur University.