The Ayurveda Medical Manufactures Organisation of India (AMMOI) has urged the Prime Minister of India to advise the Expert Committee of the Union Public Service Commission to favourably consider the recommendation of AMMOI to the Union government and to the UPSC for inclusion of Ayurveda as one of the subjects both for preliminary and main examinations for civil services.

Saying that Ayurveda is not only a system of treatment but also a subject of medical science, AMMOI justified the necessity of inclusion. The point is that more than 15,000 BAMS graduates coming out from various colleges in India every year and several of them may opt for civil services provided Ayurveda is included as an optional subject. If UPSC considers it as a subject, it will definitely encourage the BAMS graduates to appear for the examination.

The prime minister’s office has forwarded the letter of AMMOI to the Ayush ministry and to the UPSC for deliberation and suitable actions. The ministry of Ayush has forwarded the same to the Central Council of Indian Medicine for their consideration. But, according to Dr D Ramanathan, general secretary of AMMOI, the UPSC has no interest in including Ayurveda as a subject in the civil services examinations and they are giving no importance to such a demand. Hence, AMMO has once again approached the Prime Minister seeking personal intervention in this matter.

He says that considering the interest of the Prime Minster and of the Ayush ministry, the CCIM can initiate steps to sensitize the UPSC in consultation with Gujarat Ayurveda University, Banaras Hindu University in Varanasi and National Institute of Ayurveda in Jaipur. It will also help UPSC to prepare the syllabus of the examinations also.

Dr Ramanathan said his organisation started to make this recommendation two years ago as several graduates in Ayurveda appearing for civil services and state government administrative examinations through non-Ayurveda subjects since Ayurveda is not included. He said AMMOI is ready to give training to the aspirants of IAS, IPS, IFS and IFoS from Ayurveda community once it is included as one of the main subjects. He said AMMOI now undertakes projects to impart suitable education and training to professionals working in the area of Ayurveda.

On behalf of the Ayurveda professionals in the country, AMMOI, the premier organisation of ayurvedic professionals in Kerala, will further communicate to the chairman of the Expert Committee of the UPSC to consider the request in the wake of immense support given by central government for the promotion of Ayurveda in the country, said he.