CAREER INFOLINE Transitional Curriculum for First-Year BAMS Students Indian culture gives importance to every event of life. The classical texts of Ayurveda mention Shodasha Samskara or 16 rituals, one among which is Shishyopanayanam. Shishyopanayanam is a ritual that is performed when a child begins a formal course of study. As part of the Shishyopanayanam, a ceremony is organized to introduce the child to the various branches of knowledge that will be taught at the Gurukula (an ancient system of residential schooling), following which the child is formally admitted to the Gurukula. On these lines, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), on behalf of the Ministry of Ayush (New Delhi), recently introduced a 15 days or 90 hours of transitional curriculum (TC) for first-year BAMS students. What is Transitional Curriculum? The BAMS curriculum comprises unique subjects and terminologies. Students who enroll into this course come from diverse educational backgrounds. The TC is designed to help students get acquainted with various aspects of the BAMS course such as the curriculum and subjects, the scope of Ayurveda in India and at the global level, regulatory and governing bodies, and the Sanskrit language. The students are also taken on a campus tour to create awareness about various facilities available in their institution’s campus and are briefly introduced to the institution's staff and their responsibilities. They receive soft skill training that inducts them about goal setting and leadership skills. They are also taught to converse in Sanskrit. Overall, the TC prepares the students for a productive learning experience throughout the BAMS course. What is the Significance of Transitional Curriculum? Today, Ayurveda has garnered attention for its principles of curing diseases through a holistic approach and maintaining good health. It is important that students from diverse educational backgrounds understand the significance of Ayurveda right at the beginning of the BAMS course, so that they will be able to shape their career appropriately. The TC sheds light on the scope and market size of the Ayush industry, knowledge of which is essential in the current era of entrepreneurship and start-ups. According to the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit 2022, the market size of the Ayush sector has grown by 17% per annum from 2014 to 2020, which is almost 3 times that of India’s GDP. Ayush services, including preventive, curative, and promotive health services Dr Sameer Addressing the Students at Aarihant Ayurvedic College (Gandhinagar, Gujarat, India) 14 • Himalaya Infoline • Vol 19 • No. 2 • May–Aug 2023
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