Ayush Ministry Aligns Indian Traditional Medicine with Global Practices: Govt

New Delhi, August 9: The Ministry of Ayush (MoA) has taken significant steps toward aligning Indian traditional medicine systems with global practices by establishing the Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H). This subordinate office is tasked with prescribing Pharmacopoeial Standards for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) drugs, which are recognized as official compendia under the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940, and the Rules of 1945.

In a collaborative effort with the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the MoA has created seven sectional committees for each of the AYUSH systems—Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa, and Homoeopathy. These committees, under the Ayush Division Council of BIS, work toward formulating Indian Standards that encompass both traditional and modern aspects of products and services. These standards are developed in partnership with technical experts, academic institutions, industry representatives, and regulatory bodies to ensure they align with both national and international guidelines.

As of now, 180 Indian Standards for AYUSH systems, covering various aspects such as raw materials, manufacturing processes, packaging, and finished products, have been developed and are available on the BIS website at www.bis.gov.in.

The Ministry has also partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO) to further standardize AYUSH practices. WHO has released benchmark documents for Ayurveda and Unani and standardized terminology for Ayurveda, Unani, and Siddha. Additionally, MoA has signed a project collaboration agreement with WHO to help develop an International Herbal Pharmacopeia, particularly focusing on the traditional medicine systems of the South-East Asia region.

Promoting quality assurance, the Ministry supports the Certification of Pharmaceutical Products (CoPP) under WHO guidelines for Ayurvedic, Siddha, and Unani medicines. Moreover, the PCIM&H has also entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Food and Drug Authority of Indonesia, aiming to further enhance the global standing of AYUSH products.

These comprehensive initiatives aim to boost the quality, safety, and reliability of AYUSH products, fostering greater consumer confidence and improving the acceptance of Indian traditional medicine systems in global markets.

This update was provided by Union Minister of State (I/C) of the Ministry of Ayush, Prataprao Jadhav, in a written reply in Lok Sabha on Friday.