Dharamshala/Joginder Nagar, April 17, 2026 : Dr. Arun Chandan, a distinguished Ayurvedic specialist and Regional Director of the Regional-cum-Facilitation Centre (RCFC–Northern Region-1) under the National Medicinal Plants Board, Ministry of AYUSH, based in Joginder Nagar, Himachal Pradesh, has been honoured at the 4th Chapter of the Global Conference on Natural Products and AYUSH System of Medicine for his significant contributions to the field.
Expressing profound gratitude, Dr. Chandan stated that the recognition is not merely a personal achievement but a reflection of the collective scientific, institutional, and field-based efforts dedicated to Ayurveda, medicinal plant research, and the advancement of evidence-informed traditional healthcare.
He acknowledged the academic leadership and scientific vision of Prof. Bikash Medhi of PGIMER, Chandigarh, for providing a distinguished platform for meaningful deliberations on natural products, pharmacology, and AYUSH. He also extended his thanks to Prof. Ajay Prakash, Dr. Diksha Slaria, and Mr. Rajan Rolta for their valuable contributions.
Highlighting the collaboration between the Experimental Pharmacology Lab (EPL) of PGIMER Chandigarh and RCFC NR-1, Dr. Chandan described it as a strong partnership that bridges frontline field institutions working on medicinal plants with premier biomedical research platforms. He emphasized that such collaboration strengthens linkages between medicinal plant resource systems, quality assurance, pharmacological validation, and translational scientific research. The inclusion of RCFC NR-1 as a collaborating institution in the international conference, he noted, stands as a testament to the relevance and growing importance of this partnership.
Dr. Chandan also expressed his gratitude to Prof. Dulal Panda, Director of NIPER, for his visionary encouragement in strengthening the interface between pharmaceutical sciences, innovation, and traditional systems of medicine. He further acknowledged Dr. Rabinarayan, Director General of CCRAS, for his continued commitment to reinforcing the scientific foundations of Ayurveda and promoting research translation, quality standards, and public health relevance within the AYUSH sector.
He underscored that meaningful progress in AYUSH will emerge through robust collaboration among research institutions, policy systems, field networks, and scientific academia. In this context, the association between PGIMER Chandigarh and RCFC NR-1 stands out as a promising model of institutional synergy.
Dr. Chandan concluded that the honour will serve as a lasting source of inspiration, reinforcing his commitment to advancing Ayurveda scientifically, promoting sustainable development of medicinal plant resources, and contributing to globally relevant, evidence-based integrative healthcare systems.