Professor Ayushman returns; new comic book series released at global Ayush summit

The National Medicinal Plants Board and Amar Chitra Katha join hands to raise awareness on Indian systems of medicine.

3 min readGandhinagarApr 21, 2022 03:28 PM IST

In Professor Ayushman Fights Covid-19, the story starts with the professor taking a trip to the US to deliver a lecture and then gets stuck due to the pandemic. (Express Photo)

Professor Ayushman is back and this time the informative comic book series–a creative venture by National Medicinal Plants Board and Amar Chitra Katha to raise awareness about Indian systems of medicine that was released at the Global Ayush Investment and Innovations Summit– focuses on the humble hero who makes new friends in the United States and introduces the world of Ayurveda during Covid lockdown.

Dr Tanuja Nesari, director of the All India Institute of Ayurveda, New Delhi, and also the chief executive of the medicinal plants board, said the comic character had become very popular since its launch in July 2019.

“Professor Ayushman is a character that has been created to raise awareness about simple healing properties of medicinal plants among children because we need to catch them young—they need to be aware of the uses of medicinal plants and this knowledge can then reach households,” Dr Nesari said.

The board has brought in the second and third series of the book, titled Professor Ayushman Fights Covid-19 and Professor Ayushman Returns, to spread awareness about the medicinal properties of ginger, black pepper, clove, dalchini, adusa, kalmegh, mandookparni and others. Some of these plants are ingredients in Ayush Kwath, which is being promoted as an immunity booster by the Ayush ministry, and others are part of a campaign on 20 medicinal plants.

In Professor Ayushman Fights Covid-19, the story starts with the professor taking a trip to the US to deliver a lecture and then gets stuck due to the pandemic. The professor then makes new friends and treats ailments like swelling and inflammation with traditional remedies like a mix of lemongrass oil and coconut oil that works as a pain reliever and karipatta leaves (curry leaf), which can aid digestion and help increase appetite.

From the bhumi amla plant (country gooseberry), which can fight diarrhoea and dysentery, to hudjod (velot grape), also known as the adamant creeper with its anti inflammatory properties, Professor Ayushman comes up with information on Ayurvedic herbs and plants and their healing properties.

“The comic books will help the younger generation to be aware of and disseminate knowledge about medicinal plants which would certainly help in preventing common ailments and lifestyle disorders that are on the rise,” said Rajesh Kotecha, a secretary in the ministry of Ayush.

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Dr Nesari said the board was involved in creating agro-techniques for medicinal plants. “Agriculture universities have helped in developing techniques for the cultivation of 104 medicinal plants so far,” she said.

Anuradha Mascarenhas

Anuradha Mascarenhas is a Senior Editor at The Indian Express, based in Pune. With a career spanning three decades, she is one of the most respected voices in Indian journalism regarding healthcare, science and environment and research developments. She also takes a keen interest in covering women's issues . Professional Background Education: A gold medalist in Communication and Journalism from Savitribai Phule Pune University and a Master’s degree in Literature. Author: She authored the biography At The Wheel Of Research, which chronicles the life and work of Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the former Chief Scientist at the WHO. Key Focus: She combines scientific accuracy with storytelling, translating complex medical research into compelling public and human-interest narratives. Awards and Recognition Anuradha has won several awards including the Press Council of India's national award for excellence in journalism under the gender based reporting category in 2019 and the Laadli Media award (gender sensitivity -2024). A recipient of the Lokmat journalism award (gender category-2022), she was also shortlisted for the RedInk awards for excellence in journalism-2021. Her debut book At The Wheel Of Research, an exclusive biography of Dr Soumya Swaminathan the inaugural chief scientist of World Health Organisation was also nominated in the Popular Choice Category of JK Paper AUTHER awards. She has also secured competitive fellowships including the Laadli Media Fellowship (2022), the Survivors Against TB – New Research in TB Media Fellowship (2023) and is part of the prestigious 2025 India Cohort of the WomenLift Health Leadership Journey.” Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025) 1. Cancer & Specialized Medical Care "Tata Memorial finds way to kill drug-resistant cancer cells" (Nov 26, 2025): Reporting on a breakthrough for triple-negative breast cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of the disease. Discipline, diet and purpose; How a 97-year-old professor defies ageing'' (Nov 15, 2025) Report about Prof Gururaj Mutalik, the first Head of Department at Pune's B J Government Medical College who at 97 credits his longevity to healthy habits and a strong sense of purpose. 2. Environmental Health (The "Breathless Pune" Series) Long-term exposure even to 'moderate' air leads to chronic heart, lung, kidney issues" (Nov 26, 2025): Part of an investigative series highlighting that even "safe" pollution levels are damaging to vital organs. "For every 10 µg/m3 increase in PM2.5 level, there was 6-8% jump in medicine sales" (Nov 23, 2025): Using commercial data to prove the direct link between air quality and respiratory illnesses in Pune. 3. Lifestyle & Wellness News "They didn't let cancer, diabetes and heart disease stop them from travelling" (Dec 22, 2025): A collaborative piece featuring survivors who share practical tips for traveling with chronic conditions. At 17, his BP shot up to 200/120 mmHG; Lancet study flags why child and teen hypertension doubled between 2000 and 2020'' (Nov 12,2025)--A report that focusses on 17-year-old-boy's hypertensive crisis and reflects the rising global trend of high blood pressure among children and adolescents. 4. Scientific Recognition & Infrastructure For promoting sci-comm, gender diversity: IUCAA woman prof highlighted in Nature" (Nov 25, 2025): Covering the global recognition of Indian women scientists in gender studies and physics. Pune researchers find a spiral galaxy like the Milky Way from early universe'' (December 3, 2025)- A report on how Indian researchers discovered a massive galaxy that existed when the universe was just 1.5 billion years old , one of the earliest to have been observed so far. Signature Beat: Health, Science & Women in Leadership Anuradha is known for her COVID-19 reportage, where she was one of the first journalists to provide detailed insights into the Covishield and Covaxin trials. She has a dedicated interest in gender diversity in health and science, often profiling women researchers who are breaking the "leaky pipeline" in STEM fields. Her writing style is scrupulous, often featuring interviews with top-tier scientists and health experts from various institutions. ... Read More

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