Government receives over 600 research proposals for yoga and meditation programme

NEW DELHI: Government has received over 600 research proposals from scientists and academicians for conducting researches under its Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation ( SATYAM) programme.

An expert committee set up by the Ministry of Science and Technology is going through the proposals and will shortlist around 20-25 of them.

"We have received over 600 (research) proposals for SATYAM. An expert committee will shortlist around 20-25 of them on merit basis. These (research) projects will be funded by the Ministry," Secretary in the Ministry Ashutosh Sharma said.

Sharma said the Ministry received research proposals from reputed institutes like AIIMS and National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences ( NIMHANS). Around Rs 20 crore per year will be alloted to each research project.

The Department of Science and Technology (DST) had last year conceptualized the research programme under Cognitive Science Research Initiative (CSRI) and invited research proposals from scientists and academicians having prior research experience in yoga and meditation.

The programme is aimed at encouraging scientific research on the effects of yoga and meditation on physical and mental health and on cognitive functioning in healthy people as well as in patients with disorders.

The basic themes for this programme include investigations on the effect of yoga and meditation on physical and mental health, body, brain and mind.