Prof. (Dr.) Kashinath Samagandi, BAMS, MD (Swasthavritta & Yoga), Ph.D. (Swasthavritta and Yoga), Diploma in Nutrition and Health Education, and Diploma in Yoga and Naturopathy, has been appointed as Director, Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga with effect from 19th March 2024. Prior to this, he served as a faculty member at the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur.

He has been a Member of the Academic Council at NIA (Deemed University) since May 2021, a Member of the Board of Studies for PG at Sri Krishna Ayush University, Kurukshetra since September 2021, and an Adjunct Faculty at Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences, Wardha, Maharashtra since April 2022. With 14 years of experience in clinical research and teaching, Dr. Samagandi has guided 26 postgraduate research projects, 2 Ph.D. (ongoing), and one Post-Doctoral Fellowship under FITM, RIS, Ministry of Ayush.

He has published 4 research papers, 6 monographs, 35 peer-reviewed journal articles, and several pieces in magazines and newspapers. He has delivered talks in more than 200 national and international seminars as a Resource Person, Keynote Speaker, and Guest Lecturer. His academic interests include Ayurveda for Nutrition (Poshan), Ayurveda Dietetics, Ayu-Lifestyle, and Yoga for Personality Development & Therapeutics.

International Representation

Representing the Ministry of Ayush, Government of India, Vaidya Dr. Samagandi has participated in several international events including the 71st World Health Assembly of WHO (Geneva, 2018), 4th International Day of Yoga celebrations in Beijing (2018), and as a Yoga Expert at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization Marathon in Kunming, China. He was nominated by the Ministry to 'Namaskar Eurasia 2019' (Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan), attended the 8th Geneva Health Forum (2020), and joined an Ayush event on “Enhancing Immunity through Ayu Formulations and Practices” in Vietnam (2021).

Conferences & Awards

He has been actively involved in organizing and contributing to national and international conferences such as the National Ayurveda Day Conference (2022), Ayush Export & Food Festival (2022, Goa), Saundharya 2019 – International Conference on Skin, Hair and Eye, and Supraja Nirmeeti Workshop (2019, NIA Jaipur).

Vaidya Dr. Samagandi stood First in the Karnataka MD Common Entrance Test (Swasthavritta & Yoga), and received the Best Paper Award for his oral presentation titled “Elementary Appraisal on Traditional Excellence in Post-Traumatic Disorder” at the 5th International Ayurveda Day (2015, Coimbatore). In 2014, he was honored with the Ganga Sahaya Joshi Ayurveda Parangata Dhanwantari Award by Vedic Samskriti Prachara Samhiti, presented by Rajasthan’s Cabinet Minister Dr. Arun Chaturvedi.

Other Activities

• Member, War Room Committee for Global Ayush Innovation & Invention Summit, Gandhinagar (2022)
• Core Committee Member, 1st Global Conference on Traditional Medicine (WHO & Ministry of Ayush, 2023)
• Rapporteur, India–Africa Workshop on Traditional Medicine (September 2011)
• Organising Secretary: Saundharya International Seminar and Garbha Sanskara National Seminar (NIA, Jaipur)

Courtesy: Ministry of Ayush Website