Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy [C.C.R.H.] has completed twenty five years of its inception. Silver Jubilee function was organized in Vigyan Bhawan on 20th March 2005. Lok Sabha speaker Sh.Somnath Chaterjee inaugurated the Silver Jubilee function, Sh.Anumbani Ramadoss, Union minister for health & family welfare presided over this function .Smt.P.Lakshmi, Union state minister for health and Family welfare, Smt.Neena Pillai, secretary dept. of AYUSH, Ministry of health and Family welfare and Dr.Diwan Harish Chand, Vice President,SAC,CCRH were also present during the inaugural function.

Dr.C.Nayak, director C.C.R.H. delivered the welcome address. He welcomed the Lok Sabha speaker,both the ministers, other dignitaries and also the over 700 hundred homoeopaths who have gathered from all over the country. He informed that a joint research council of ISM & H was constituted in the year 1969, it was dissolved in to three independent research councils and C.C.R.H. came in to being on 30th March 1978.Dr.Nayak said that C.C.R.H. has 48 regional research centers and one plant cultivation centre at Ooty. He also highlighted that the functioning of C.C.R.H .including: drug standardization, clinical research and devising new protocols for research without jeopardizing the homoeopathic principles. He said that research on AIDS is being conducted at three centers, Mumbai, Chennai and New Delhi. He further informed that C.C.R.H. is actively involved in the publications of homoeopathy literature and so far 38 drugs studies have been brought out as also a quarterly journal informing about the various activities of C.C.R.H.

Dr.Diwan Harish Chand thanked the Govt. of India for establishing this body as no such body exists any where else in the world. He appreciated the efforts of council in generating research in homoeopathy but at the same time desired that much more need to be done. He gave a very interesting instance of a Allopath and homoeopath of 18th century coming back on earth to resume their profession. Allopathic found the world of allopathic so much changed that only 3 drugs survived since the time he was practicing , but homoeopath found the going easy as homoeopaths were using the old remedies though some new were added. Dr.Diwan wanted to convey that while principles of Allopathy keeping changing, principles of homoeopathy are lasting.

Mrs.Uma Pillai, secretary deptt. Of AYUSH, ministry of Health and Family welfare happily noted that C.C.R.H. silver jubilee is being celebrated near to 250th birthday of Dr,Hahnemann, founder of homoeopathy. She stated that C.C.R.H. should aim at focused research, re-orientation of research and also creating awareness about homoeopathy in masses. Mrs.Pillai emphasized that all research work in homoeopathy should withstand the scientific scrutiny. She said that G.M.P. [good manufacturing practice] is not being implanted by all homoeopathic manufacturers. She informed that we have some 8000 medicinal plants out of which only 500 are being used .According to her quality control is the most vital issue and drug adulteration and substitution should be checked. She appealed that internationally accepted scientific parameters should be applied in Homoeopathy research and manufacturing. We should aim at safe and efficacious drug at affordable cost.

Mrs.P.Lakshmi, Minister of state for Health and Family welfare said that Homoeopathy has made in-roads into the fabric of modern society and fast getting popular among the all sections of society. She felt that people are shifting from conventional [Allopathy] system to Alternative systems. She said India has largest numbers of homoeopathy physicians and appealed that they should spread Homoeopathy all over the world. She informed that present Govt. at the centre is addressing the Health issues on priority basis and that her leader Smt.Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Sh .Man Mohan Singh have shown genuine interest in the health policy matters.

Dr.Anbumani Ramdoss, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare said that he is very happy to join the silver jubilee celebrations of C.C.R.H. He said that more and more countries are granting recognition to Homoeopathy and homoeopathy education is also gaining ground. He said health ministers of various countries who visit him time to time have shown keen interest in Alternative methods. He informed that in USA 25% of all medicines are plant based, thus enormous scope for our medicinal plants exists. The minister said that he is very much interested in the AYUSH [Ayurveda,Unani,Sidhha & Homoeopathy] because our forefather founded these systems and that he would like to spread AYUSH not only in India but also all over the world.

He proposed that in SAARC countries we should evolve a common education programme for AYUSH. He informed about the re-structuring of Health programme wherein emphasis is on prevention of disease rather than on treatment. He declared that Govt. plan to include the AYUSH doctors in all such programme. In the beginning all PHC [primary health centers] will have AYUSH doctors. He was very happy to note that Homoeopathy has 182 colleges, 670 manufacturers, 1700 dispensaries and over 200,000 qualified doctors and that this system is fulfilling the expectations of public with minimal or no side effects.

He further informed that Prime minister is soon going to announce the “Rural health mission” programme and promised to engage the AYUSH doctors in this programme. He was also happy to declare that budget allotment for his ministry has gone up by 31% vis- a- vis last year. He said that India has the best bio-diversity in the world and Govt. plan to start the Medicinal Plant Processing Zone in the different part of the country. He expected the Medicinal Plant Industry to be worth Trillion dollars in next three decades

He pointed out DM, Cardio-vascular diseases and Cancer as working area for homoeopathy, in cancer alone 700-900,000 new cases get added each passing year. He questioned the absence of research in homoeopathy and asked that lot more quality research should be conducted by C.C.R.H. The minister desired that indigenous drugs should be proved and included in Materia Medica.

Speaker of the Lok Sabha , Mr.Somnath Chaterjee deliverd the inaugural lecture. He appreciated the work of both the ministers and also thanked them for giving him opportunity to participate in the Silver Jubilee of C.C.R.H. He said that his home state, West Bengal has a long standing relationship with homoeopathy. First Homoeopathy College was started in Kolkatta in the year 1881 and State of Bengal recognized homoeopathy as early as 1941.Subsequently in 1975 Govt. of India started National Institute of Homoeopathy at Kolkotta . Mr.Chaterjee paid tribute to Hahanemann and stalwarts of Indian homoeopathy, many of them were from West.Bengal.

He said India and its people have adapted well to homoeopathy and its popularity is increasing globally specially in Asian and European countries. He said that Allopathic medicines have side effects as well exorbitant cost and homoeopathy with its cost effective and without side effects treatment is easily a very good alternative to serve our poor people. He hoped that deptt.of AYUSH will provide inexpensive and efficient health care system as our people have faith in Holistic approach of Traditional systems. He appealed that doctors should work in villages, as large population still live there.

Many stalwarts of homoeopathy were felicitated on the occasion of silver jubilee .Dr.P.N.Kuru, Dr.Diwan harish Chand,Dr.K.P.Majumdar, Dr.P.N.Verma, Dr.V.T.Augustine, Dr.D.P.Rastogi, Dr.Shaw & Dr.S.P.Singh were presented mementoes by Sh.Somnath Chatterjee. Health minister released the various publications by C.C.R.H. including a souvenir to mark the occasion.

Dr.V.P.Singh , asstt.director C.C.R.H..extended vote of thanks. Inaugural function was followed by two day National seminar on Fundamental and Evidence Based Clinical Research at Morarjii Desai National institute of Yoga, New Delhi.