Chandigarh: Punjab cabinet which met here Wednesday under the chairmanship of Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal has granted its approval to the setting up of Ayurvedic University in the State.

An official spokesman said that the University would be located in the foot- hills of the Shivalik range in Hoshiarpur district known for its rich and exotic fauna and flora. The district had been chosen since its soil is congenial for the growth of herbal medicine parks which were supplementary and complementary for the promotion of Ayush in Punjab.

The need for this university which would be only the 3rd in the world of its kind was felt in view of the growing awareness of alternative system of medicine to promote Ayush which covered Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani Siddha and Homeopathy apart from Ayurveda which were earlier popular in large number of states of our country have now caught global imagination with many countries of Asian, European and American continents evincing deep interest in these.

With growing popularity and wide acceptability of Ayurvedic and Yoga, India had now become a major medical Tourism Center for international tourists as a sizable chunk of Medical Tourists preferred Ayurvedic medicinal treatment as a traditional health care system.