UGC NET Ayurveda Biology Syllabus December 2026

Unit 1 History and development of Āyurveda

i. Vedic origin & chronological development of Āyurveda ii. Āyurveda and various schools iii. Understanding and relevance of aṣṭāṅga āyurveda iv. Basic Texts and commentaries of Āyurveda v. Contribution of commentators to Āyurveda vi. Introduction to bṛhattrayī and its importance vii. Introduction to laghutrayī and its importance viii. Basic understanding of nighaṇṭu and kośa of Āyurveda ix. Contribution of contemporary publications in Āyurveda x. Government initiatives for development of Āyurveda

Unit 2 Philosophy and Fundamental Principles of Ayurveda

i. āyu - lakṣaṇa, paryāya, paribhāṣā and pramāṇa ii. Definitions of śarīra, jñānendriya, karmendriya, mana, buddhi, citta, ahaṃkāra, ātmā iii. lokapuruṣa sāmya siddhānta, ekadhātu puruṣa, ṣaḍdhātuja puruṣa, caturviṃśati tatvātmaka puruṣa and their relevance iv. Definitions of Ayurveda – hitāyu - ahitāyu, sukhāyu - dukhāyu, trisūtra āyurveda - hetu liṅga-auṣadha-jñāna svastha ātura v. svāsthya lakṣaṇa - - Dimensions of Health Corresponding to nature, prakṛti, ṛtucaryā, dinacaryā, svasthavṛtta vi. paṃcamahābhūta – ākāśa-vāyu-agni-jala-pṛthvī and their specific properties vii. Theories of sāmānya and viśeṣa viii. padārtha – theories of dravya-guṇa-karma-sāmānya-viśeṣa-samavāya ix. doṣa – śarīrika and mānasika x. Introduction to dhātu, mala, agni and srotas

Unit 3 Sharira Rachna and Kriya

i. Introduction to śarīra racanā kriyā ii. garbhaśarīra (fetal development) - śukra, ārtava, garbhādhāna, garbha and māsānumāsika garbha iii. Introduction to śarīra pramāṇa, saṃkhyā śarīra, aṅga-pratyaṅga-koṣṭhāṅga and āśaya iv. Introduction to deha prakṛti and mānasa prakṛti v. Introduction to doṣa, sapta dhātu and mala vijñāna vi. Definition and types of - asthi, sandhi, snāyu, peśī, parva and kaṇḍarā vii. Definition, types and numbers of srotas, dhamanī, śirā and nāḍī viii. ojas and its importance ix. Definition of agni and types – jaṭharāgni, dhātvāgni and bhūtāgni x. marma - Definition and types

Unit 4 Padartha Vijnana and Dravya Vijnana

i. padārtha – Definition and types - saptapadārtha ii. Definition and types of pramā, prameya, pramātā, pramāṇa and pramāṇa catuṣṭaya iii. pramāṇa - Definition and types - āptopadeśa, pratyakṣa, anumāna and yukti pramāṇa iv. Origin of dravya, Definition and types - kāraṇa and kārya dravya v. auṣadha and āhāra dravya, āyuṣya – anāyuṣya dravya vi. Basic concept of rasa pañcaka vii. dravya - nāma-rūpa-guṇa-karma-yoga-prayoga-saṃyoga vijñāna viii. Basic concept, classification, and application guṇa, vīrya and vipāka ix. Basic concept of karma and its classification x. dravya in accordance with karma and its uses in health and disease

Unit 5 Rasa Shastra, Bheshajya Kalpana and Ayurvedic Pharmacopeia

Rasa Shastra and bhaiṣajya Kalpana i. Origin and Development of rasa śāstra and bhaiṣajya kalpanā ii. rasa - Definition, Types of rasa śodhana prakāra and saṃskāra iii. uparasa sādhāraṇa rasa, ratna, and uparatna, – Definition; Types of śodhana and māraṇa iv. Principles of auṣadha nirmāṇa, jāraṇa, māraṇa, satvapātana, nirvāpa and āvāpa v. Basic concept of bhaiṣajya kalpanā vi. rasaśālā - Conventional and Contemporary aspects, Good Collection Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices vii. Basic Pharmaceutical dosage forms and Secondary dosage forms of āyurveda viii. Definition of puṭa, its types and use in various pharmaceutical forms ix. auṣadha sevana kāla and auṣadha sevana mārga

Pharmacopeia i. Āyurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India (API) - Introduction, development and importance ii. Āyurvedic Formulary of India (AFI) - Introduction, development and importance iii. Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 in relation to ASU Drugs and Standardization of ASU drugs iv. Extra-pharmacopoeial drugs (Anukta dravya) not finding place in Ayurvedic Classics v. Knowledge of pharmaco-vigilance in Āyurveda and conventional system of medicine vi. Pharmacogenomics of active compounds of Āyurveda and multi-omics approach

Unit 6 Disease Biology, Microbiology, and Immunology

Disease Biology i. Definition of disease, Etiology and Pathology ii. Congenital and Acquired diseases iii. Communicable and Non-communicable diseases iv. Genetic and Epigenetic factors in health and diseases v. Autoimmune diseases and Lifestyle disorders vi. Deficiency and Metabolic diseases vii. Psychological disorders viii. Benign tumors and various types of cancers

Microbiology i. Historical perspectives of Microbiology, Immunization, Epidemics and Pandemics ii. Antimicrobial resistance, Immune response by microorganisms, Sterilization and disinfection iii. Microbial Diversity and Physiology iv. Gut-Brain axis (GBA) and Microbiome v. Microorganisms isolation and characterization, culture media vi. Environmental microflora, Bio-remediation, Dairy microbiology, Indicator organisms and tests and water borne diseases vii. Genetic Recombination, Transformation, Conjugation and Transduction

Immunology i. Role of RBCs, WBCs, platelets and plasma proteins in immune mechanisms ii. Biophysics of Immune System, Structure of antigen and antibody molecules, Antigen recognition by T cell and B cells, B-cell receptors, TCR gene rearrangement, antigen presentation and MHC/HLA complex iii. Antigen antibody reactions, Innate immune cells, Pathogen-associated molecular pattern (PAMP), Pathogen recognition receptors (PRR) and Complement system iv. Natural and Acquired immunity, cell-mediated immunity and toxicity and cytokines v. Immunopathology and autoimmune diseases, transplant rejection and allergy, Immunomodulators vi. Antibody isolation and purification, ELISA, immunoblotting, immunohistochemistry, immunoprecipitation, immune cell isolation, flow cytometry and Immunotherapy vii. History of vaccines, attenuated vaccine, heat-killed vaccine, subunit vaccine, recombinant vaccine, DNA vaccine, RNA vaccine, dendritic cell-based vaccine, Virus Like Particles, adjuvants and their role in vaccine

Unit 7 Genetics, Ayurgenomics, Cell and Molecular Biology

Genetics and Ayurgenomics i. Principles of Inheritance and Variation, Historical Perspectives of Genetics ii. Human genome and its evolution iii. Exploring genotype to phenotype correlation, Multi-OMIC and its correlation with doṣa prakṛti and medicinal plants iv. Basics of human genomics, regulatory mechanisms of genetic variation, its role in health, diseases and adaptation including drug response v. Population genomics, Disease genomics, Pharmaco-genomics, Nutrigenomics, and scientific approaches and initiatives towards discovery of biomarkers vi. Approach, limitation and challenges in discovery, development and delivery of P4 and P5 (Predictive, Preventive, Personalized, Participatory and Promotive) medicinal aspects of Āyurveda

Cell and Molecular Biology i. Plant and animal cells - Structure and Function ii. Early evidences and Experiments of DNA as the genetic material, Chemistry of Nucleic acids, Nucleotides, Chargaff’s rule iii. Watson-Crick model and forms of DNA; types of RNAs, Concept of gene and genome, difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotic genes, C-value paradox, Triplexes, quadruplexes and aptamers iv. DNA replication-conservative, semi-conservative and dispersive models, DNA replicative enzymes and mechanisms of DNA replication v. Types of gene mutations - base substitution, frame shift mutation, insertion, deletion, missense, nonsense, reverse, suppressor and lethal mutations; DNA damage and repair mechanisms vi. Gene expression and regulation in prokaryotes, structure of prokaryotic gene, structure and functions of RNA polymerase and its subunits vii. Mechanism of Gene Transcription and Translation, Genetic code, Gene structure, expression and regulation in eukaryotes, RNA polymerases, Post-transcriptional modifications and Operon concept viii. Basic concepts of Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology

Unit 8 Physiology, Biochemistry and Nanotechnology

Physiology i. Fundamentals of human physiology and cellular function ii. Digestive System – Digestion, Absorption and Metabolism iii. Respiratory and Circulatory Systems – Breathing and exchange of gases, Body fluids and circulation iv. Nervous Systems – Central and Autonomic nervous system, Neurophysiology and Cerebrospinal fluids v. Excretory and Endocrine Systems – Excretory products and their elimination from the body, acid-base regulation, Endocrine glands and Hormonal functions vi. Reproductive System – Human reproductive physiology and Embryonic development vii. Voluntary and Involuntary movements and their coordination

Biochemistry i. Concept of atoms and molecules, molecular interactions, stereochemistry and their importance in biological systems ii. Carbohydrate chemistry and metabolism, Disorders associated with carbohydrate metabolism iii. Lipid chemistry and metabolism, Disorders associated with lipid metabolism, Lipidomics iv. Chemistry and metabolism of Proteins and Amino acids, Ramachandran plot, primary, secondary, tertiary and quaternary structure of proteins, Mechanisms and specificity of Enzymes, Coenzymes and Cofactors, Disorders associated with protein and amino acid metabolism, proteomics v. Heme synthesis and disorders vi. Structure, function and metabolisms of nucleic acids, DNA and RNA

Nanotechnology i. Physical properties and types of the nanoparticles, Nanoparticles of various basic pharmaceutical forms of Āyurveda and Green nanotechnology ii. Synthesis of nanomaterials using different methods, Molecular basis of biosynthesis of nanomaterials, assessment of plant, animal and mineral-based drugs for nanomaterials iii. Characterizations of nanoparticles - transmission electron microscope (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM), fluroscence microscopy, atomic force microscope (AFM), Energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), UV – visible absorption; photoluminescence; Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) and dynamic light scattering spectroscopy (DLS) iv. Nanomaterials in bio-sensors and other applications and Interaction of nanomaterials v. Molecular basis of nano-formulations

Unit 9 Biodiversity and Environmental Health, IPR and Entrepreneurship

Biodiversity and Environmental Health i. Biodiversity of Medicinal plants and animals, Concept and Practices of environmental health, Pathways for synthesis of primary and secondary metabolites and their uses ii. Pharmacological properties of secondary and active metabolites of medicinal plants used in Āyurveda iii. Concept of ecosystem, structure, function and types of ecosystem, energy flow in an ecosystem: food chain, food web and ecological succession iv. Biodiversity and its conservation, Levels of biological diversity, biogeography zones of India, biodiversity patterns and global biodiversity hot spots, India as a mega biodiversity nation v. Renewable and non-renewable biological resources and their importance in longevity of life vi. Degradation of biodiversity, loss of medicinal plants and animal life, and its impact on indigenous knowledge

Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) i. Concept, meaning and types of Intellectual Property (IP), Origin, nature, philosophy and importance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), Current Best Practices (CBP) and legal framework of IPR ii. Protection of Traditional Knowledge System (TKS), prevention of bio-piracy and bio prospecting, benefits to national economy, conservation of environment, protection of livelihood of TK stake- holders, TKS and innovation in Indian medicine system iii. Introduction to the Indian patent office and National Biodiversity Authority and their role in the protection of TKS, Different types of IPR protection in India, Indian Legislations Patents Act of India (1970); Biological Diversity Act (2002), Convention of Biological Diversity (1992), Plant Protection Variety and Farmers Rights Act (2001) and Geographical Indication Act 1999 etc. with respect to TKS iv. The role of databases and registers in the legal protection of TKS - Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) through World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) v. WTO, TRIPS, World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO), Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD); FAO; Nagoya Protocol on access and benefit-sharing

Entrepreneurship i. Definition of Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurial traits, and Entrepreneur versus Manager, Entrepreneurial decision processes, Ethical, Legal and Socio-cultural responsibilities ii. Opportunities for Entrepreneurs in relation to food and drugs of Ayurveda for wellness iii. Innovations and new ideas in Āyurveda R&D, Product planning, development and troubleshooting, Types of Āyurveda industries and manufacturing, and Competitive dynamics between the sub-industries iv. Entrepreneurship development programs of public and private agencies (MSME, Ministry of Ayush, Make in India), Challenges in Āyurveda industry and decision-making, Patenting and Commercialization strategies v. Laboratory to market - strategies and processes of negotiation with financiers, government and regulatory authorities, Pricing strategy, challenges in marketing in Āyurveda business, Distribution channels, supply chain, Analysis and management of customer needs vi. Business preparation including statutory and legal requirements, business feasibility study, Financial management in capital procurement and cost management, Collaborations and partnership

Unit 10 Research Methodology, Biostatistics and Ayurveda-informatics

Research Methodology i. Research Methodologies and Bioethics in Āyurveda ii. Fundamental principles-based research in Āyurveda iii. Food and drug-based research in Ayurveda iv. Pre-clinical and Clinical trials - types, protocol designing and data management in accordance with the principles of Āyurveda v. Various extraction methods of plant materials, Concept of polarity for extraction and Solvents used for the extraction vi. Purification of bioactive compounds through various chromatographic methods vii. Identification of Functional Groups in Phytochemicals

Biostatistics i. Average, Mean, Mode, Median; Descriptive statistics, Various Statistical tests of significance and Analysis of variance ii. Power and sample size calculation and Basic Principles of Statistical Inference iii. Correlation analysis, Regression analysis and Survival analysis iv. Genome Mapping Statistics and Bioinformatics v. Types of data and its classification, multi-dimensional data, big data, meta data, linear algebraic treatment to data, matrices, eigen values and eigenvectors, and singular value decomposition vi. Exploratory data analysis, descriptive statistics and inferential statistics

Ayurveda-informatics i. Chronological Development of Āyurvedic drug manufacturing industries ii. Government policies and initiatives for the development of Āyurveda as traditional System of Medicine of India for the wellbeing of the world iii. Ordinance, Rules and Regulations in the manufacturing of quality, safety and efficacy of Āyurvedic drugs for the consumers iv. Review of important modern works on classical medicinal plants published by Ministry of AYUSH and ICMR, Govt of India v. Important organizations of Ayurveda – National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), Central Council for Research in Āyurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), Āyurvedic Pharmacopeia commission, National Medicinal Plants Board and Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), etc vi. Research publication portals in Āyurveda and contemporary medical science - DHARA, PubMed, Ayush Research Portal, Bioinformatics Centre and Research Management Informatic System vii. Use of modern technology to confirm the various fundamental principles, drug research and development for communicable and non-communicable diseases viii. Health informatics in Āyurveda in present global scenario