New Delhi: The Department of Science and Technology (DST) has invited researchers to study the benefits of yoga and meditation in fighting Covid-19 and similar viruses.
In a notification issued 8 April, the DST has asked scientists, clinicians and yoga/meditation practitioners with a “proven track record in the field of yoga and meditation research” to submit proposals for projects that can benefit a larger section of society. The last date for submissions is 30 April and selected researchers will get up to Rs 15 lakh to pursue their proposals.
The DST, which falls under the Union Ministry of Science & Technology, is not looking for a “cure” to coronavirus through yoga and meditation. The projects, it says, should instead focus on boosting immunity, improving the respiratory system (since Covid-19 causes respiratory illness) and alleviating stress, depression and anxiety.
The invitation is a “special call” under the DST’s ‘Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM)’ programme, which funds three-year-long projects that aim to scientifically validate the benefits of yoga and meditation in dealing with different diseases.
“The aim of this special call is to provide assistance to our society in today’s critical condition arises (sic) due to pandemic Covid-19,” the DST notification states.
Also Read: Govt prescribes ‘Yoga with Modi’ for foreign envoys battling stress of Covid-19 lockdown
Three kinds of proposals invited
While yoga and meditation are known to be beneficial for holistic health, there is no proof so far that they help gear up the human body to fight coronavirus, which has infected over 7,000 people in India so far.
Speaking to ThePrint about the special call, DST secretary Ashutosh Sharma said “projects in the SATYAM programme, as the name implies, investigate the effects of yoga and meditation holistically through teams of clinicians, scientists and practitioners by using the modern tools of science such as MRI etc”.
“In the context of Covid-19, shoring of immune system, respiratory function and also addressing stress, anxiety, etc are of relevance and importance,” he added. “The projects are to investigate these aspects through scientifically designed protocols and experiments to determine the outcomes and efficacy of yoga and meditation practices under different conditions.”
According to the notification, the proposed work should be completed within six to 12 months.
Researchers have been invited to submit proposals under three categories. The first is to compile existing knowledge, protocols and best practices in boosting immunity, respiratory system and mental health and make a critical assessment of the same.
The second category is for proposals to develop specific protocols and modules of yoga and meditation based strictly on scientific approach with proper documentation. Under this section, existing protocols can also be refined or reframed in view of Covid-19.
The last category is for short-duration pilot studies based on experience in the abovementioned areas by a team of scientists, clinicians and yoga/meditation practitioners. The studies will need to be “scientifically designed, documented, open to scrutiny and employ scientific tools for validation or falsification”, the notification states.
This report has been revised to correct an error in the number of Covid-19 cases in India
Also Read: Yogi Adityanath goes viral on Chinese social media for ‘yoga cures coronavirus’ speech
Yoga ??
Print always up for the destruction of the idea called India. You liberals need to have life.
Because they said “there is no proof so far that they help gear up the human body to fight coronavirus”? That is a fact.
Maybe liberals, unlike pseudoscientific right-wingers, are actually concerned about Indians being destroyed by the virus as the government engages in tomfoolery and plays politics as they try to shore up religious beliefs in this vital moment?
Destruction of unintelligent ideas is not destruction of India, it is improving it.
The virus has *infected 7000 so far, not killed. A mistake may be, please change it Print.
No news of Punjab nihang on the print,ndtv etc. Lol. Don’t worry everybody is on test.
The government is using these terms “evidence based” a lot recently, but I don’t think they understand them.
Evidence based does not mean you forget about negative studies and only remember positive studies.
They never admit that anything ancient does not work.
Their concept of science is to rationalize pseudoscience, not validate. So positive gets stated and negative gets ignored. That is not science.
Also, please don’t do Yoga in camps like in the photo in the outbreak. That distance is nice but not foolproof. The cloth masks don’t filter viruses. They do stop your own droplets to some degree. Stay home and do your Yoga or whatever exercises at home, not in groups. Don’t take unnecessary chances.
You don’t seem to understand ‘evidence based’ obviously, since the term evidence is outcome neutral moron. So there can be positive or negative outcomes for a specific study dumbhead. Also only an dumb ass like you will mistake a representative photo for the real thing. So please do not flaunt your biased and ignorant opinion, on a purely fact based story.
Do you have any education in science? Because it looks like you don’t.
Evidence is not neutral. There is a research question. That is either disproven or not disproven. Studies have either a yes or a no outcome, not both, they are not neutral.
What negative outcome studies on Yoga and meditation did the government ever take into account?
It is the same case with the rest of AYUSH.
Studies on Homeopathy are decisively No – No as in, No it does not work. Government ignores those, even from top journals. Our government is mostly political, it is not scientific.
BTW, the tone and class of your message is very yogic and meditative. That is sarcasm in case you can’t get it.
Well said ??
Fact check… Killed over 7000 should be infected over 7000
Article says “coronavirus killed over 7000 people in India so far”. It should be corrected to “infected over 7000……”.
Hey, it hasn’t “killed 7000 people in India”….thankfully, and despite the fudged figures and mumbo-jumbo, fatalities have been few.