The Ayush Ministry, which came into standalone existence in November 2014 after the BJP formed the government at the Centre, has been one of the party’s flagship moves to reviving the profound knowledge of ancient systems of medicine and ensuring their optimal development and propagation. It received a budget allocation of Rs 2,970.3 crore in 2021-22 fiscal. The ministry is currently headed by Sarbananda Sonowal.
Earlier, the Department of Indian System of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H), was responsible for the development of the health systems under the ministry.
A brief history
The ministry was renamed in November 2003 as the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (Ayush) with focused attention towards education and research in the fields of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy.
It operated under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare until 2014, following which it was demarcated as a standalone ministry.
Yoga has regained prominence in the Indian lifestyle since 2014, with International Yoga Day being prominently celebrated and many medical experts also vouching for the health benefits of the various exercises and pose.
Controversy
The Ayush Ministry has been in a storm of controversy over the past few years, with many medical experts cautioning against ayurvedic concoctions and expressing scepticism over homoeopathic remedies.
In August 2017, a pamphlet published by AYUSH came under fire from health journalists, doctors and the general public for its rather bizarre and unscientific advice for pregnant mothers. The pamphlet titled Mother and Child Care through Yoga and Naturopathy asked pregnant women to stop eating meat, eggs, and even having sex, and also asked them to nurture spiritual and ‘pure’ thoughts.
Other news reports, published in September 2017, showed that AYUSH issued health advisories recommending alternative medicines to treat or prevent dengue and chikungunya. Doctors, however, maintain that the medicines that were recommended have little to no scientific basis.
Budget allocations
Over the past decade, the budget allocation for the ministry has sizeably increased, from around Rs 1,000 crore in 2011 to Rs 2,970 crore in the current fiscal. The expectation is for an increased allotment, especially in view of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic, where health services have taken the centre stage.
Here is the year-wise budget allocation (for the upcoming fiscal) for the ministry over the past decade:
2011 – Rs 1,064 crore
2012 – Rs 1,161.2 crore
2013 – Rs 1,249.6 crore
2014 – Rs 1,252.05 crore
2015 – Rs 1,197 crore
2016 – Rs 1,323.2 crore
2017 – Rs 1,428.65 crore
2018 – Rs 1,626.37 crore
2019 – Rs 1,939.76 crore
2020 – Rs 2,122.08 crore
2021 – Rs 2,970.3 crore
Watch the latest DH Videos here: