NMPB Signs MoUs to Boost Medicinal Plant Conservation with IshVed, AIIA & AIIMS

Current Context: On August 4, 2025, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ministry of Ayush signed two MoUs (Memoranda of Understanding) at Nirman Bhawan, New Delhi, in the presence of Union Minister Prataprao Jadhav.

• The first MoU with IshVed-Bioplants Venture (Pune) aims to conserve Rare, Endangered, and Threatened (RET) medicinal plants using tissue culture techniques.
• The second MoU, signed with All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) and All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS Delhi), will establish a national medicinal plants garden.
• This garden will serve as a hub for education, awareness, and research, benefiting patients, students, and visitors.
• The initiative promotes traditional knowledge integration with modern science, aligning with PM Modi’s Vision 2047.

Question:

Q.1 Which organisation signed two Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) on August 4, 2025, to support medicinal plant conservation and research in India?
a) Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR)
b) National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB)
c) Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)
d) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC)

Answer: b) The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), under the Ministry of Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy), signed two MoUs—one for conservation and another for creating a national garden of medicinal plants.