Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav Calls for Accessible, People-Centric and Quality Ayush Services

The National Workshop on 'Strengthening the Ayush Ecosystem in States and Union Territories' held at Kanha Shanti Vanam, Hyderabad, represents a significant milestone in India's journey toward integrated, holistic healthcare. Organized by NITI Aayog, the premier policy think tank of the Government of India, this workshop brought together senior officials from over 30 States and Union Territories, signaling a renewed federal commitment to mainstreaming traditional systems of medicine — Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy (AYUSH) — within the national health architecture. Historically, AYUSH systems have deep civilizational roots in India, with Ayurveda dating back over 5,000 years and Siddha and Unani traditions flourishing for centuries. However, post-independence, the dominance of allopathic medicine under the Bhore Committee recommendations (1946) marginalized these systems. The turning point came with the creation of the Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) in 1995 under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, later elevated to an independent Ministry of AYUSH in 2014 under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's government. This institutional upgrade reflected a strategic shift toward leveraging India's traditional knowledge systems for public health, medical tourism, and global soft power. The workshop's emphasis on "accessible, people-centric, and quality" services aligns directly with the constitutional mandate under Article 47 (Directive Principles of State Policy), which directs the State to raise the level of nutrition and standard of living and improve public health. Furthermore, Article 21 (Right to Life) has been interpreted by the Supreme Court to include the right to health, making equitable access to diverse healthcare systems a constitutional imperative. The National Health Policy 2017 explicitly advocates for "mainstreaming AYUSH" and integrating it with the National Health Mission (NHM), a vision reiterated in the workshop by Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri Prataprao Jadhav. Key stakeholders include the Ministry of AYUSH, NITI Aayog (which drives cooperative federalism in health), State Health Departments, and regulatory bodies like the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) and the National Commission for Homoeopathy (NCH), established under the NCISM Act, 2020 and NCH Act, 2020 respectively. These commissions replaced the erstwhile Central Councils, aiming to bring transparency, merit-based education, and quality regulation. The presence of Prof. (Dr.) M. Srinivas, Member (Health), NITI Aayog, and Vaidya Rajesh Kotecha, Secretary, Ministry of AYUSH, underscores the high-level coordination between policy formulation and implementation. The focus on technology-integrated, evidence-based approaches is critical. Initiatives like the AYUSH Grid, the National AYUSH Morbidity and Standardized Terminologies Electronic Portal (NAMASTE), and integration with the Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM) aim to digitize patient records, standardize terminologies, and enable interoperability. This addresses a long-standing criticism — the lack of scientific validation and data-driven practice in traditional medicine. The WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) in Jamnagar, Gujarat, established in 2022 with Government of India support, further positions India as a global leader in evidence-based traditional medicine. Economically, the AYUSH sector has grown exponentially — from a market size of approximately $3 billion in 2014 to over $18 billion in 2023, with exports of herbal products reaching $1.5 billion annually. The sector employs millions, particularly in rural and tribal areas, and supports biodiversity conservation through medicinal plant cultivation under the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB). Politically, this workshop reinforces cooperative federalism — a cornerstone of NITI Aayog's mandate — by empowering States as primary implementers. Since health is a State subject (List II, Seventh Schedule), Centre-State collaboration is non-negotiable for effective service delivery. The workshop's deliberations on education, research, capacity building, and integration with the broader healthcare system reflect a comprehensive systems approach. Looking ahead, the outcomes of this workshop are expected to feed into the next phase of the National AYUSH Mission (NAM), state-specific action plans, and the integration of AYUSH in Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) under Ayushman Bharat. With India hosting the G20 presidency in 2023 and championing "One Earth, One Health," a robust, evidence-backed AYUSH ecosystem strengthens India's global health diplomacy. The future lies in rigorous clinical research, standardized pharmacopoeias, workforce upskilling, and digital integration — transforming AYUSH from a parallel system into a pillar of India's quest for Universal Health Coverage (UHC) by 2030, in line with SDG 3.