Parliament Question: Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *195 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1st AUGUST 2025 Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine *195. Shri Chavan Ravindra Vasantrao: Shri Manish Jaiswal: Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state; (a) whether the World Health Organization(WHO) has recently released a technical brief titled, Mapping the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether the Government has reviewed the key findings and recommendations of the brief and if so, the details thereof; (c) the details of the implications of this report for the development and regulation of Artificial Intelligence in the Indian traditional (AYUSH) medicine sector; (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government to integrate Artificial Intelligence in the promotion, research and practice of AYUSH systems in light of this brief; and (e) the steps taken by the Government to boost the Traditional Medicine in the country? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) to (e) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.The Statement referred in reply to Lok Sabha Starred Question No. 195 for 01.08.2025 (a) On 11th July 2025, the World Health Organization (WHO) has released a technical brief titled, "Mapping the Application of Artificial Intelligence in Traditional Medicine". This brief explores the current landscape of Artificial Intelligence (AI) applications in traditional medicine, highlighting both the opportunities and challenges. It aims to provide guidance for the responsible and ethical integration of AI into traditional medicine practices worldwide. The Ministry of Ayush has contributed to this process as a topic driver for Traditional Medicine topic group under the WHO–ITU Focus Group on AI for Health (FG-AI4H), for conducting global consultation meetings and assisting in finalisation of the document. (b) The Government has reviewed the key findings and recommendations of the WHO technical brief. The brief emphasises the potential of AI to enhance various aspects of traditional medicine, including diagnosis, treatment, research, and education. It also underscores the importance of addressing ethical considerations, data privacy, regulatory frameworks, and capacity building for the effective and safe adoption of AI in this sector. (c) The WHO report has significant implications for the development and regulation of Artificial Intelligence in the AYUSH sector. It provides a valuable framework for developing robust policies and guidelines to ensure the responsible integration of AI. The report's findings facilitate: i. Establishing ethical guidelines for AI use in AYUSH sector, ensuring patient safety and data privacy. ii. Developing standardised protocols for AI-powered diagnostic and therapeutic tools in AYUSH. iii. Formulating regulatory mechanisms to govern the development, validation, and deployment of AI applications in the AYUSH sector. iv. Promoting research and development in AI for traditional medicine while adhering to international best practices. (d) In light of the WHO brief, Ministry of Ayush has initiated deliberations on taking several steps viz., capacity buildingand digitization through Ayush Grid to integrate Artificial Intelligence into the promotion, research, and practice of Ayush systems. (e) The Ministry of Ayush has implemented multiple initiatives to boost the Traditional Medicine in India as follows: i. A Central Sector Scheme for promotion of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) in the Ayush sector has been implemented to create widespread awareness about Ayush systems of medicine. This initiative aims to reach all sections of the population across the country through national/state Arogya Fairs, Yoga Fests/Utsavs, Ayurveda Parvs, and various multimedia and print media campaigns.ii. 12 National Institutes and 05 Research Councils under the aegis of Ministry of Ayush are engaged in Outpatient & Indoor patient services, co-ordinating, formulating, developing and promoting research on scientific lines in Ayush systems of healthcare. These Institutes/ Councils organizes Arogya Melas, Awareness Camps, Treatment Camps, Radio & TV talks, outreach programs like Swasthya Rakshan Program (SRP), Schedule Caste Sub Plan (SCSP) Research Program and Tribal Health Care Research Program (THCRP) for creating awareness on Ayush systems of healthcare among the general public. The Councils conducts research in the diverse areas comprising of Clinical Research, The Councils have published journals which are also available electronically in the public domain to enable dissemination of the outcomes of research among the public. Medicinal Plant Research, Drug Standardization & Quality Control; Pharmacological Research and Literary & Fundamental Research to generate tangible evidence. iii. To digitally empower the sector, the Ministry has initiated the “Ayush Grid” project, a comprehensive ICT-based initiative designed to establish a unified digital ecosystem and robust IT infrastructure for the holistic growth of the Ayush sector. iv. The Ministry of Ayush is implementing the Ayush Oushadhi Gunavatta evam Uttpadan SamvardhanYojna (AOGUSY) scheme to enhance manufacturing capabilities and exports of traditional medicines, support infrastructure and technology upgrades, strengthen regulatory frameworks, and promote quality standards and collaboration across the sector. v. Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), a subordinate office under Ministry of Ayush, lays down the formulary specifications and pharmacopoeial standards for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) drugs. Implementation of these pharmacopoeial standards ensures the optimum quality, purity and strength in the medicines.