New Delhi, Oct 15 (IANS) Vice President C.P. Radhakrishnan will visit Karnataka and Keralam on Friday to attend a Naval event and other cultural programmes, said an official.

During his visit, he will attend the commissioning ceremony of the Indian Navy’s ship INS Samarthak at Karwar, Karnataka, as the Chief Guest, said the official in a statement.

Later in the day, the Vice President will inaugurate the Navaratri Sargotsavam 2026 at Kozhikode, Keralam, he said.

Sharing information about the Naval ship’s commissioning, a Defence Ministry official said that Samarthak is a multi-purpose warship for strategically important maritime surveillance and patrol operations.

Built by a private company under the Union government’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, Samarthak is the first of four Multi-Purpose Vessels being inducted into the Indian Navy, said a statement issued by the Defence Ministry.

The commissioning will mark another significant milestone in India’s drive towards defence self-reliance, and she will form an important component of the Navy’s future and ideal “utility” ship for strategically important operations, it added.

Earlier on Thursday, Radhakrishnan attended a conference organised by All India Institute of Ayurveda, Delhi, and called for greater scientific research into Ayurveda to establish the efficacy of traditional healthcare practices.

He said this would strengthen patient confidence and enhance the global acceptance of India’s traditional systems of medicine.

He was addressing the inaugural ceremony of the third edition of the international conference on Kaumarabhritya, KAUMARACON-2026, organised by the AIIA.

Referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of developing the All India Institute of Ayurveda on a par with AIIMS, the Vice President said the Institute was moving towards realising this vision.

The Vice President noted that India’s traditional systems of medicine represent a valuable legacy rooted in its civilisational wisdom and centuries-old knowledge traditions.

He highlighted the establishment of a separate Ministry of AYUSH in 2014 and its efforts to strengthen education, expand healthcare services and promote scientific research.

He also referred to interdisciplinary collaborations between the Ministry of AYUSH and institutions such as ICMR, CSIR, DBT, DST and AIIMS.

–IANS

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