New Delhi :
The Department of Science and Technology has invited proposals to study appropriate intervention of yoga and meditation in fighting COVID-19 and similar kinds of viruses.
Teams of scientists, clinicians and experienced practitioners of yoga and meditation who have a proven track record in the field of yoga and meditation research are being encouraged to submit concept notes on the proposal.
The proposals have been invited under the Science and Technology of Yoga and Meditation (SATYAM) programme of the DST, a department under the Ministry of Science and Technology.
According to the 'Call for Proposals'' uploaded on the Department of Science and Technology's website, concept note should cover aims and objectives of proposed work, existing literature, methodology, expected outcome, budget requirement and details of host institutions along with detailed biodata of the principal investigator with latest publications included in scientific journal databases.
It states that the project may address improving immunity, improving respiratory system and interventions to overcome respiratory disorders and other dimensions like stress, anxiety and depression related issues due to isolation, uncertainty and disruption in normal life.
"The aim of this special call is to provide assistance to our society in today's critical condition arising due to pandemic COVID-19. Since, this is a need based call, therefore, proposed work should be completed within 6-12 months," it said.
Elaborating on the concept, DST Secretary Ashutosh Sharma said that SATYAM is a cognitive science programme.
"COVID-19 usually has three dimensions -- related to stress (worry, sitting at home), respiratory and the immune system.
"But this (how can yoga and meditation) has to be scientifically investigated. Sometimes, there is an empirical co-relation in something you do and something you see as an outcome, but you have to understand that scientifically," he said.
He added clinicians, scientists and practitioners are expected to work together and make use of modern tools of life science and bio-sciences to understand if something works and if something does not. "If it works, what is the efficacy and in what conditions does it work," he added.
World
Coronavirus has spread to 185 countries. The total confirmed cases worldwide are 17,87,823 and 1,09,707 have died; 12,68,147 are active cases and 4,09,969 have recovered as on April 12, 2020 at 5:15 pm.
India
In India, there are 8,447 confirmed cases including 273 deaths. The number of active cases is 7,409 and 765 have recovered as on April 12, 2020 at 5:00 pm.
State & District Details State Cases Active Recovered Deaths Maharashtra
1761
1426
208
127
Delhi
1069
1025
25
19
Tamil Nadu
969
915
44
10
Rajasthan
700
676
21
3
Madhya Pradesh
564
528
0
36
Telangana
504
452
43
9
Uttar Pradesh
452
402
45
5
Gujarat
432
366
44
22
Andhra Pradesh
381
364
11
6
Kerala
374
230
142
2
Karnataka
226
183
37
6
Jammu And Kashmir
224
214
6
4
Haryana
185
153
29
3
Punjab
151
135
5
11
West Bengal
134
110
19
5
Bihar
64
44
19
1
Odisha
54
41
12
1
Uttarakhand
35
30
5
0
Himachal Pradesh
32
25
6
1
Assam
29
28
0
1
Chhattisgarh
25
15
10
0
Chandigarh
19
12
7
0
Jharkhand
17
16
0
1
Ladakh
15
5
10
0
Andaman And Nicobar Islands
11
1
10
0
Goa
7
2
5
0
Puducherry
7
6
1
0
Manipur
2
1
1
0
Tripura
2
2
0
0
Mizoram
1
1
0
0
Arunachal Pradesh
1
1
0
0
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