On 15th September 2014, Government of India approved launching of National Ayush Mission (NAM) to address gaps in health services in vulnerable and far-flung areas of the country. The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, gave approval for launching of the National Ayush Mission with its core and flexible components.

Ayush
Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) was created in March, 1995 and re-named as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) in November, 2003 with a view to providing focused attention to Development of Education and Research in these systems of medicine. The Department continues to lay emphasis on upgradation of Ayush educational standards, quality control and standardization of drugs, improving the availability of medicinal plant material, research and development and awareness generation about the efficacy and safety of the systems domestically and internationally.

National policy on Ayush
National Health Policy 1983, refers to our rich, centuries - old heritage of medical and health sciences. The Policy outlines that although vast infrastructure is available in the Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy for addressing health care of our people, they are under utilized.

The Central Council for Health and Family Welfare in 1999 recommended, inter-alia, that at least one physician from the Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy should be available in every Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) and that vacancies caused by non-availability of allopathic personnel should be filled by ISM&H physicians. The Council also resolved that specialist ISM&H treatment centres should be introduced in rural hospitals and a wing should be created in existing state and district level government hospitals to extend the benefits of these systems to the public.

Why National Ayush Mission?
India possess an unmatched heritage represented by its ancient systems of medicine like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy which are a treasure house of knowledge for preventive and promotive healthcare. The positive features of the Indian systems of medicine namely their diversity and flexibility; accessibility; affordability, a broad acceptance by a large section of the general public; comparatively lesser cost and growing economic value, have great potential to make them providers of healthcare that the large sections of our people need.

Objectives of National Ayush Mission
A. The improvement of Ayush education through enhancement in the number of upgraded educational institutions;
B. Better access to Ayush services through increase in number of Ayush hospitals and dispensaries, availability of drugs and manpower;
C. Providing sustained availability of quality raw material for Ayush systems of medicine; and
D. Improving availability of quality ASU&H drugs through increase in number of pharmacies, drug laboratories and improved enforcement mechanism of ASU&H drugs.

Issue of improvement of Ayush education
Courses in Ayush are available at undergraduate (UG) and postgraduate (PG) levels. Central Council for Indian Medicine (CCIM) is the statutory regulatory body constituted under IMCC Act 1970 regulating the Ayurveda education at degree level as well as at postgraduate level as well as the practice of Ayurvedic medicine in India. Central Council of Homeopathy is a statutory body of Government of India under the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Department of Ayush for regulating homoeopathic education.

In Ayush, recognition of medical qualifications is essential for shaping up carrier of professionals. There is a second Schedule to the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970 in which recognized medical qualification of Ayurveda/Siddha/Unani are included. The Government of India amends this Schedule from time to time by including medical qualifications of Indian Systems of Medicine by issuing Gazette notification.

Degrees awarded by universities fall in following categories:
1. Recognised: If the course is opened with Government of India permission.
2. Illegal: If the course is opened without Government of India permission, then it is an illegal one and such act is punishable also. No one can use this degree for employment or even display it as a qualification.
3. Unrecognised: If such course is opened after Government of India permission but there are deficiencies as per CCIM requirement or CCIM inspection process is underway then it is unrecognized but may get recognized once all things are in place.
4. Derecognised:  The courses were opened with permission of Government of India and earlier were recognized by CCIM also but later on CCIM recommended/ declared them as derecognised course on their subsequent inspecting. Such courses may also get recognised again.

The factual position of system of Schedule in Ayush qualifications is in fact confusing. A student before taking admission in Ayush institution is unaware of recognition / unrecognition status of the UG/PG course. The student is neither eligible for Central/State registration nor for application in government sector.

If improvement of Ayush education mandate of National Ayush Mission has to be achieved, we need to address human resource issues in Ayush sector. Either the system of Schedule in Ayush qualifications should be abolished or steps should be initiated for including all the Ayush qualifications in recognised category.

Recently B.A.M.S qualification awarded by Guru Ravi Dass Ayurvedic University, Hoshiarpur has been brought under the umbrella of recognised qualifications by amendment of the 2nd Schedule. Similarly  B.A.M.S and M.D. (Ayurveda) qualifications awarded by Vikram University, Ujjain was included to the 2nd Schedule of their IMCC Act, 1970 there by protecting future of pass outs.

On the other hand several qualifications have been not included to the 2nd Schedule of the IMCC Act, 1970 thereby putting question mark over future of pass outs. As an instance M.D. (Ayurveda) qualifications awarded by BRA Bihar University, Muzaffarpur stands in unrecognised category despite being initiation in 1977-78.

Future prospects
Bhore Committee (1945) recommended the establishment of a chair of history of Medicine in the All India Medical Institute. Government of India decided to implement some of  recommendations of Chopra  Committee (1946). As a result of the Pandit Committee’s report, the Central Research Institute in indigenous systems of medicine was created at Jamnagar in 1952. Like Chopra Committee, Government of India decided to implement some of  recommendations of Dave  Committee (1955). Udupa Committee (1958) led reforms of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM), including changes in education and research at the national level.

National Policy on Ayush followed by National Ayush Mission are welcome steps for promoting Ayush. However, bitter truth is that despite several announcements by Government, things have failed to take practical shape for Ayush. It is sincerely hoped that C.C.I.M will play pivotal role in implementation of efforts initiated by creation of National Ayush Mission.