NMPB
The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) set-up in November 2000 by the Government of India has the primary mandate of coordinating all matters relating to medicinal plants and support policies and programmes for growth of trade, export, conservation and cultivation of the same. The Board is rooted in the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy (AYUSH) of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
The objectives of establishing a Board is to ensure an agency which would be responsible for coordination of all matters relating to medicinal plants, including drawing up policies and strategies for conservation, proper harvesting, cost-effective cultivation, research and development, processing, marketing of raw material in order to protect, sustain and develop this sector. While the work shall continue to be carried out by the respective Departments’ Organisations, the Board shall preside over the focus and direction of all the activities. The Board functions with administrative/technical support of the following committees which have been carved out of the key Departments and have the administrative/technical capability for each area defined below. These committees are:
- Standing Finance Committee,
- Committee on Demand and Supply,
- Committee on Cultivation of Medicinal Plants including Conservation of rare and endangered species.
- Committee on Export/Import,
- Committee on Research,
- Committee on Patents/IPR