India must use the AYUSH opportunity

UPSC Syllabus: Gs Paper 2- Issues relating to development and management of Social Sector/Services relating to Health, Education, Human Resources.

Introduction

India is pushing AYUSH into the mainstream through higher funding, new institutes, and global trade openings. The India–EU FTA expands its global reach. This shift brings both opportunity and responsibility. If India wants AYUSH to succeed globally, it must combine tradition with strong scientific proof, regulatory standards, and credible research systems.

What is AYUSH?

• AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy.
• These systems are based on traditional medical philosophies. They represent a way of healthy living with established concepts on prevention of diseases and promotion of health.
• In 2015, the Ministry of Ayush had also included Sowa Rigpa into the AYUSH system.

AYUSH Knowledge Systems

1. Holistic View of Health: Systems like Ayurveda see the body as interconnected with environment, diet, and lifestyle, focusing on balance rather than isolated disease.
2. Different Medical Logic: Illness is seen as imbalance in relationships, not just a specific defect, unlike modern medicine’s focus on targeted causes.
3. Strength of Biomedicine: Modern medicine is effective in identifying precise causes and delivering targeted treatments with accuracy.
4. Complementary Approaches: AYUSH and modern medicine represent different but valuable frameworks that can expand understanding of health.

Institutional Framework for AYUSH

1. The Ministry of AYUSH is the apex body, established in 2014. It promotes and propagates Indian systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy.
2. The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) coordinates activities relating to conservation, cultivation, marketing, export and policy-making for the development of the medicinal plant’s sector.
3. The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) and the Central Council of Homoeopathy (CCH) are two statutory regulatory bodies. They are responsible for –

• Laying down minimum standards of education,
• Recommending recognition of medical qualifications,
• Registering the practitioners and laying down ethical codes.

Current Status & Policy Push for AYUSH

1. Rising Budget Allocation: The AYUSH Ministry budget has nearly doubled in five years, reaching ₹4,408 crore, showing strong policy priority.
2. New Institutional Expansion: Three new All-India Institutes of Ayurveda are planned to set high standards in treatment, education, and research, similar to top modern medical institutions.
3. Strengthening Infrastructure: The National AYUSH Mission funding increased by 66% to modernise dispensaries, create AYUSH units in government hospitals, and upgrade drug-testing labs.
4. Mainstreaming Healthcare Role: These steps aim to integrate AYUSH into the public health system, rather than keeping it as a separate alternative stream.

Key Challenges to Realising AYUSH Potential

1. Need for Scientific Evidence: Entry into global markets requires rigorous, independent, and transparent evaluation, as treatments will be judged under strict regulatory systems.
2. Risk of Credibility Loss: If claims move ahead of proof, it can lead to legal disputes, reputational harm, and reinforcement of ‘unscientific’ stereotypes.
3. Conflict of Interest in Research: Many studies are funded or overseen by the same institutions that promote AYUSH, creating structural bias and weak credibility.
4. Regulatory Compliance Pressure: AYUSH products must meet international standards of safety, manufacturing quality, and claims regulation to circulate in markets like the EU.

What should be done?

1. Independent Research: Clinical trials must be conducted by independent bodies with transparent methods and peer-reviewed results to ensure credibility.
2. Regulatory Harmonisation: Standards for safety, manufacturing, and claims must align with global norms, especially for entry into EU markets.
3. AYUSH + Biomedicine Complementarity: The focus should be on coexistence, where both systems work together and expand understanding of health.
4. Evidence-Based Approach: All treatments must be validated through rigorous scientific evaluation, and both positive and negative findings should be accepted.
5. Transparency: Research processes, funding sources, and methodologies must be open to scrutiny to build global trust.
6. Institutional Reforms: Strengthen research institutions, remove conflict of interest, and improve governance for better credibility and accountability.

Conclusion

India has a strong opportunity to position AYUSH globally through policy support and trade access. However, success depends on scientific validation, regulatory compliance, and institutional credibility. Balancing tradition with evidence will decide its future. Sustainable global expansion requires transparency, independent research, and openness to scrutiny, ensuring AYUSH evolves as a trusted and credible healthcare system worldwide.

Question for practice:

Discuss the opportunities and challenges in mainstreaming AYUSH in India and its global expansion, and suggest measures to ensure its credibility and effectiveness.

Source: The Hindu