AIIA Launches ‘Garbhini Mitra’ Course to Train Maternal Wellness Support Workers in Ayurveda-Based Care

The All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi, has launched a new Garbhini Mitra Course for the 2026–27 academic session, introducing a structured skill-development programme aimed at preparing trained personnel to support women during pregnancy and the postnatal period through Ayurveda-based wellness practices.

The six-month offline programme draws on traditional Ayurvedic concepts including Garbhini Paricharya, or antenatal care, Sutika Paricharya, covering postnatal care, and Garbhadhana Vidhi, which focuses on pre-conceptional care. The curriculum combines these principles with practical maternal-support skills intended for use in healthcare and community settings.

Participants will receive training in trimester-specific diet and lifestyle guidance, pregnancy-safe yoga practices, emotional support during labour, newborn massage and basic life-support procedures. The course also covers infection control, sanitisation, biomedical waste management and workplace safety to provide students with a broader understanding of responsible maternal and newborn support.

Classes will be conducted at the AIIA campus in Sarita Vihar, New Delhi, from Monday to Friday between 3:00 PM and 5:00 PM. Each batch will have 20 seats. Applicants must be at least 18 years old and should have passed the Senior Secondary or Class 12 examination from a recognised board. Students awaiting their Class 12 results can also apply provisionally.

On completing the programme, participants may pursue opportunities as Garbhini Mitra Assistants, prenatal and postnatal care assistants, antenatal wellness guides and maternal health support workers. Potential workplaces include Ayush centres, maternity clinics, wellness institutions, NGOs and community healthcare programmes.

AIIA has emphasised that the Garbhini Mitra programme is intended to complement professional antenatal and postnatal healthcare rather than replace it. Pregnant women will continue to require routine medical examinations, diagnostic tests and monitoring of parameters such as blood pressure and haemoglobin. Garbhini Mitras are instead expected to provide supportive guidance, recognise potential warning signs and facilitate timely referral to qualified doctors or healthcare institutions when necessary.

The initiative represents an effort to develop a trained support workforce around Ayurveda-based maternal wellness while integrating traditional care practices with basic safety, referral and community-health principles.

Applications for the 2026–27 batch will remain open until August 31, 2026.

PIB: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleaseDetail.aspx?PRID=2302658&reg=48&lang=1