President Murmu to inaugurate seminar on Ayurvedic surgery at AIIA on July 15

President Droupadi Murmu will inaugurate Saushrutam 2026, a three-day international seminar on Ayurvedic surgery, at the All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA) in New Delhi on July 15, marking Sushruta Jayanti, the Ministry of Ayush said on Monday.

The seminar, to be held from July 15 to 17, will be preceded by a pre-conference workshop on July 14. It is being organised by AIIA, an autonomous institute under the Ministry of Ayush, to commemorate Acharya Sushruta, regarded as the Father of Surgery.

Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Ayush Prataprao Jadhav, Delhi Lieutenant Governor Taranjit Singh Sandhu, Lok Sabha MP Ramveer Singh Bidhuri and Ayush Secretary Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha will attend the inaugural ceremony.

The conference will bring together surgeons, researchers, policymakers and academicians from India and abroad to deliberate on integrating Ayurvedic surgical practices with modern medicine.

According to AIIA Director Prof. (Vd.) P. K. Prajapati, the seminar aims to promote evidence-based Ayurvedic surgery, strengthen academic and clinical collaborations, and encourage research in the field.

The programme will include keynote lectures, panel discussions, workshops and scientific paper presentations covering subjects such as proctology, reconstructive surgery, integrative oncology, medico-legal issues and intellectual property in surgery.

Scientific sessions will revisit classical surgical techniques described by Acharya Sushruta, including wound management, Agnikarma, Kshara Sutra and Marma Chikitsa, alongside discussions on emerging research in Shalya Tantra and integrative surgical care.

The event will also witness the release of a National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) study titled Evaluation of Professional Career of Ayurveda Female Graduates – An Observational Exploratory Study, which examines women’s participation and career progression in the Ayurveda sector.

AIIA will also inaugurate a 3 Tesla high-field MRI system equipped with AI-enabled workflow and advanced imaging technology. The facility has been installed at a cost of Rs 14.5 crore.

Experts from Thailand, Israel, Austria, the United Kingdom, Sri Lanka, Indonesia, Nepal and Greece are expected to participate in the seminar, alongside faculty from institutions including AIIA, IMS-BHU, NIA Jaipur and ITRA Jamnagar. Modern surgical experts from AIIMS, SGPGI Lucknow, GMC Agartala and Sir Ganga Ram Hospital will also take part in the discussions.