SETTING UP OF HERBAL GARDENS IN SCHOOLS UNDER PRMOTIONAL SCHEME OF NATIONAL MEDICINAL BOARD (NMPB), GOVERNMENT OF ======

(I) Background :-

Realising the resurgence of Indian traditional medicines across the world and corresponding increase in demand of medicinal plants, the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare have set up a Medicinal Plants Board in November, 2000 under the Chairmanship of Union Health & Family Welfare Minister for overall development of this sector. The Board is responsible for co-ordination of all matters relating to medicinal plants, including drawing up policies and strategies for in-situ conservation, ex-situ/in-situ cultivation, proper harvesting, research and development, processing and marketing of raw material etc. in order to protect, sustain and develop this sector. The Board has been implementing Promotional and Commercial schemes and providing Central Assistance for such purposes.

(II) Objective :

In order to sensitize the students about conservation of the rich biodiversity and in particular the role of medicinal plants in providing a holistic health care both in traditional and modern systems of medicine, it is proposed to provide financial assistance for setting up herbal gardens in schools under the promotional scheme of the Board on a pilot basis.

(III) Coverage :

As decided in the 13th Standing Finance Committee (SFC) meeting held on 6/7/05, it is proposed to take 10 schools each in 50 districts initially. The project seeks to cover schools up to senior secondary/intermediate/10+2 level with preference being given to Kendriya Vidyalayas and Noarvodaya Vidyalayas. Based on the response and experience of implementation the project will be extended to other districts.

(IV) Financial Pattern of Financial Assistance :

Under the existing guidelines approved by the Board, herbal gardens can be set up as a part of the Promotional Schemes. The central assistance available for raising herbal gardens as per the approved guidelines is :

i) Rs.1.00 lakh per hectare for setting up herbal garden. ii) Rs.0.40 lakh for maintenance/hectare/year.

Page 1 of 6 2

Considering that the schools may not have very large vacant land available, it is proposed to raise herbal garden of about 1000 sqm (1/10 of an hectare) in each school. The central assistance for each herbal garden will be limited to Rs.10,000.00 for setting up and Rs.4,000.00 for maintenance during 2nd year. The cost of setting up the herbal garden will include the provision for barbed wire fencing, land development, irrigation, tools and implements, cost and transportation of planting material, cost of organic manure etc. Entire central assistance of Rs.14,000.00 per herbal garden will be released in a single installment, to the State Medicinal Plants Board(SMPB) who will in turn release it to the concerned school in consultation with the Director(Education) of the State/UT Government. Maintenance from 3rd year onward will be responsibility of the school authorities.

The total central assistance required for covering 500 districts will be Rs.70 lakh. The site-wise allocation will be worked out based on the detailed proposals received from the State/UT Governments. The State Medicinal Plants Boards (SMPBs) will send the proposals in the proforma prescribed for the purpose.

(V) Technical Support :

The State Medicinal Plants Boards (SMPBs) will arrange to provide technical support with the help of state forest/horticulture/agriculture department or Agriculture Universities/Research Institute near the schools being covered under the project. State Medicinal Plants Boards (SMPBs) should also arrange to provide quality planting material. Only organic manure/biofertilisers will be used and at no cost will chemical fertilizers be used. While some medicinal plants like Bael, Aonla may provide food supplements to the students, marketing for other medicinal plants/ products should be provided through a tie up with manufacturers/traders. State Medicinal Plants Boards (SMPBs) should play a proactive role in this.

(VI) Awards/Prizes :

The Board may consider instituting prizes for the schools depending upon their performance in the form of Trophy and cash prizes at State Level and National Level. The prizes at the State Level would be Rs.10,000/- prizes at the National Level could be Rs.1.00 lakh, Rs.50,000/- and Rs.25,000/- for 1 st and 2 nd and 3 rd positions respectively.

3

(VII) List of plants for Herbal Gardens :

The National Medicinal Plants Board has identified following 32 mdicinal plants for development on priority :

1. Amla Emblica officinalis Gaertn. 2. Ashok Saraca asoca (Roxb.) de Wilde 3. Aswagandha Withania somnifera (Linn.) Dunal 4. Atees heterophyllum Wall. ex Royle 5. Bael Aegle marmelos (Linn) Corr. 6. Bhumi Amlaki Phylanthus amarus Schum & Thonn. 7. Brahmi Bacopa monnieri (L.) Pennell 8. Chandan Santalum album Linn. 9. Chirata Swertia chirata Buch-Ham. 10. Daruhaldi Berberis aristata DC. 11. Giloe Tinospora cordifolia Miers. 12. Gudmar Gymnema sylvestre R. Br. 13. Guggal Commiphora wightii(Arn.) Bhandari 14. Isabgol Plantago ovata Frosk. 15. Jatamansi Nardostachys Jatamansi DC. 16. Kalihari Gloriosa superba Linn. 17. Kalmegh Andrographis paniculata Wall. ex. Nees 18. Kesar Crocus sativus Linn. 19. Kokum Garcinia indica Chois. 20. Kuth Saussurea costus C.B. Clarke (S.lappa) 21. Kutki Picrorhiza Kurroa Benth ex Royle 22. Makoy Solanum nigram Linn. 23. Mulethi Glycyrrhiza glabra Linn. 24. Safed Musali Chlorophytum borivillianum Sant.

4

25. Pathar Chur Coleus barbatus Benth 26. Pippali Piper longum Linn. 27. Sarpgandha Rauwolfia-serpentina Benth.ex Kurz. 28. Senna Cassia angustifolia Vahl. 29. Shatavari Asparagus racemosus Willd. 30. Tulsi Ocimum sanctum Linn. 31. Vai Vidang Embelia ribes Burm. F. 32. Vatsnabh Aconitum ferox Wall.

The Schools may grow at least 5-10 medicinal Plants out of the suggested list of 32 medicinal plants identified by NMPB for cultivation and development depending upon the ago-climatic conditions. Other local plants of medicinal importance including tree species can also be grown. The herbs/shrubs can be grown in the herbal garden and the medicinal trees should be planted at the boundary of herbal garden/suitable locations in the schools. All the plants/trees would be labeled with Local name, English name, Botanical name, Family name and their medicinal uses. The State Medicinal Plants Boards (SMPBs) will arrange to provide printed literature to each school covering the details of the plants viz. scientific name, uses method of cultivation, part used etc.

(VIII) Instructions from State Medicinal Plants Board :

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) has adopted a scheme for herbal gardens in schools throughout the country and this year about 1,000 schools will be covered under the said scheme. The State Medicinal Plants Board (SMPB), West Bengal has decided to take part in the said scheme through implementation of the scheme in 125 High/Higher Secondary Schools having at least 1000 sq. metres [25 decimals] of land. A Proforma for Application is sent herewith in Annexure-‘A’. The proforma may be copied and supplied to the selected schools for submission of individual scheme. A district may submit schemes for more than 25 High/Higher Secondary Schools. But it is to be noted that the applications will be sent to the NMPB on ‘first come first served’ basis as the matter is urgent.

5

The central assistance for the said herbal garden for each selected school will be limited to Rs.10,000/- and additional Rs.4,000/- for maintenance of the Garden during 2 nd year i.e. the entire central assistance will be of Rs.14,000/- which will be released in a single installment for cultivation of medicinal plants on about 1000 sqm i.e. 1/10 of a hectare (25 decimals) of land.

The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) has recommended 32 medicinal plants, out of which 5 to 10 medicinal plants are to be cultivated depending upon the agro-climatic condition. But the SMPB has decided that some local plants of medicinal importance should also be grown. In all, we suggest 11(eleven) medicinal plants from the list prescribed by NMPB and 9(nine) such medicinal plants having local importance. Out of these 20 medicinal plants, the schools should choice 4 to 5 medicinal plants from each group of the list (Annexure-‘B’) during filling up of the application form.

The State Medicinal Plants Board will arrange to provide technical support with the help of State Forest/Horticulture/Agricultural Department as far as practicable. Only organic manure/ biofertilisers are to be used for the cultivation and no chemical fertilizer should be used. The medicinal tree plants like Bael, Amloki etc. should be planted along the boundary wall suitably. There should be a competition at the National level where some alluring prizes will be awarded for 1 st , 2 nd and 3 rd positions of the herbal gardens thus raised depending upon the excellency of the herbal garden in the schools.

Seedlings of all the 20(twenty) varieties of medicinal plants mentioned in Annexure-‘B’ are available at reasonable rate at WBSMPB Nursery at State Pharmacopoeial Laboratory and Pharmacy for Indian Medicine(SPLPIM), Kalyani, Nadia (the premises is known as Ayurved Hospital at Kalyani).

All the applications of schools of your district should be collected in the prescribed proforma along with the required papers/documents and sent to us in the 6 above address so that the schemes can be forwarded to National Medicinal Plants Board by the first fortnight of March, 2006 without fail. Kindly take actions immediately.