CSS-Medicinal Plants

The main objectives of the scheme are as follows: • Promote in-situ conservation of medicinal plants which are important to the AYUSH and Folk systems of medicine. In situ conservation measures would involve survey, inventorisation and documentation of important medicinal plants in their native/natural habitat coupled with resource augmentation in eco-systems where they form part of the naturally occurring biotic community, preventing degradation of such eco-systems in a holistic manner and reversing the onslaught of invasive alien weeds; • Promote ex-situ conservation by supporting such programs in rural/ degraded forest/public/non-public/institutional lands/urban & peri-urban lands and waste lands. • Engage the Eco-Task Force mechanism for reversing habitat degradation of medicinal plants. Conservation & development of eco-systems with medicinal plants bio-diversity Promote R&D in all aspects of medicinal plants, development of agrotechniques, post-harvest management, storage and processing, developing molecular characterization tools etc. and promotion of IT. • Enhance community mobilization and facilitate sustainable livelihood systems based on medicinal plants for farmers, collectors and other stake holders especially in forest fringe areas. • Ensure Quality Assurance - Maintain Good Quality Gene Pool Sources of medicinal plants and aromatic plants having medicinal applications. Mapping, upgrading, modernizing of Medicinal Plants supply chain and creating/ optimizing market linkages and value addition. • Quality standardization, Good Collection Practices and Good Agricultural Practices for Medicinal Plants. • Information, Education and Communication - through seminars, trainings and exposure visits promote capacity building and human resource development through appropriate inter-state and international exposure. Promote publication of documents, monographs, technical bulletins, documentaries, brochures, posters, other publicity materials, etc. • Strengthen NMPB so as to more efficiently co-ordinate all matters related to medicinal plants and function as a clearinghouse of information on medicinal plants including their occurrence, usage, ethno-botanical uses, cultivation practices, Post - harvest practices, markets etc. Institutional Strengthening of SMPBs and creating regional/facilitation centres/Centres of Excellence to optimize the strategic reach of the AYUSH systems. • Promote mainstreaming of medicinal plants in climate change mitigation strategies & promote regeneration/afforestation of medicinal plant tree species towards carbon sequesterisation. • Take steps to meet India’s international obligations in the context of medicinal plant biodiversity and promote bilateral/international cooperation.

Setting up Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas(MPCDAs) through survey, documentation of existing natural population of medicinal and aromatic plants, geo referencing Revisiting/ Reviewing/ documentation in respect of previously designated 7 MPCAs (established more than three years back under different schemes) for further development like up gradation, improving protection, documentation, communication/dissemination linking with area management plan, geo referencing, engaging professionals on short term basis, capacity Building, Community mobilization, hosting on website, piloting studies on utilization/ sustainability issues etc. Mainstreaming medicinal plant conservation in management approaches based on sound silvicultural/management principles, conducting systematic survey of local medicinal and aromatics plants with medicinal value, and incorporating sound scientific principles for their management in the Working/ Management Plans and its effective communication to Stakeholders. These management plans should also include details of MPCDAs, where they are constituted. In-situ resource augmentation of medicinal species through assisted natural regeneration. Artificial re-generation of local populations of medicinal and aromatic plant species in particularly important in case of species where wild populations have dwindled on account of habitat degradation, and unsustainable harvest. Active interest and engagement of rural communities in such a conservation program is instrumental to address sustainability of the medicinal plant sector as a whole, hence financial support will also be provided for community mobilization through entry point activities. For expanding area under medicinal plants and aromatic species of medicinal value. Plantations of medicinal plants would be raised in lands outside designated forests. These plantations may be in blocks, strips, boundaries, marginal lands, agro-forestry models etc., in the countryside as well as urban / periurban locations. • Such plantations would be raised by organisations having ownership / long term lease of lands and requisite technical competence either in-house or hired/outsourced. -Engaging Eco Task Force for rehabilitation of critical Medicinal Plant Habitats