Explanation:

• The Union Cabinet has approved setting up of National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa (NISR) at Leh, Union Territory of Ladakh.
• It will be an autonomous national institute under the Ministry of AYUSH with the mandate to undertake interdisciplinary education and research programmes in Sowa-Rigpa in collaboration with national and international institutes.
• NISR will act as an apex institute for Sowa-Rigpa system. It will develop synergy among the existing Sowa Rigpa institutions namely, Central University of Tibetan Studies, Varanasi and Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh.
• The existing Sowa-Rigpa institutions work under the Ministry of Culture.
• It will also help to revive Sowa-Rigpa in the Indian sub-continent and also link the traditional wisdom of Sowa-Rigpa with modern science, tools, and technology.
• Sowa-Rigpa (the science of healing) is a traditional system of medicine practised in the Himalayan belt of India.
• It originated in Tibet and popularly practiced in countries namely, India, Nepal, Bhutan, Mongolia, and Russia.
• Yuthog Yonten Gonpo from Tibet is believed to be the father of Sowa Rigpa.The majority of theory and practice of Sowa-Rigpa is similar to “Ayurveda”.