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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AYUSH
RAJYA SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3521
TO BE ANSWERED ON 24th MARCH 2026
Preservation of Siddha system of medicine
3521# Dr. Bhim Singh:
Will the Minister of Ayush be pleased to state:
(a) whether any specific scheme/programme is being implemented by Government for the
preservation, expansion and promotion of the Siddha system of medicine in the country, if so,
the number of Siddha institutions, practitioners, research centres and beneficiaries across the
country; and
(b) the expenditure incurred on the development, research, drug manufacturing and public health
services of Siddha medicine in the last three years and the major benefits received by the
general public therefrom?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH
(SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS), an apex body for research in Siddha
System of Medicine under Ministry of Ayush, is implementing various programmes/initiatives for
the preservation, promotion and expansion of the Siddha system. CCRS has 09 peripheral
units/institutes and 05 Co-located units. Across the country, 17 Siddha Colleges are functional
and approximately 8570 Siddha practitioners are registered.
For the preservation of Siddha system of Medicine, CCRS initiated several steps through Palm
to Paper Mission (P2P Mode) which focuses on collection, transcription, decoding, digitization,
and publication of Siddha manuscripts (palm leaf, handwritten, and printed), along with translation
into national and international languages. In addition, CCRS has undertaken 19 Intra Mural
Research (IMR) projects for conservation, preservation, and digitization of traditional Siddha
manuscripts. Further, Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden (SMPG) at Mettur Dam, Salem district,
Tamil Nadu is also functioning under CCRS aids in the propagation, conservation and
documentation of the Medico Ethno Botanical knowledge on medicinal plants used by the
inhabitants of Tamil Nadu and other states of India.Following activities have been undertaken by CCRS for Promotion of Siddha system of medicine
in the Country:
i) Undertaken 102 IMR projects and out of this 30 IMR projects have been completed and
published one (01) patent, 68 books and 939 Research Articles in peer reviewed indexed
journals.
ii) Journal of Research in Siddha Medicine, the official journal of CCRS indexed in
Medknow, Med (e-ISSN 2582-1954) is a Peer Reviewed Bi-annual Journal for publication
of original research and scientific understanding of Siddha medicine.
iii) Published 7 Siddha Pharmacopoeial and Formulary work with Pharmacopoeia Commission
of Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H). The Siddha Formulary of India, Part III
(Tamil version) and Siddha Formulary of India (SFI), Part- I (Revised Tamil Version) have
been also recently published.
iv) Standard Treatment Guidelines for Metabolic diseases and musculoskeletal diseases in
Siddha Systems of Medicine were published in coordination with Ayush vertical of
Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS).
v) 14 standards of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) related to the Siddha system of
medicine have been published.
vi) Schemes namely Student Academic Initiative for Research in Siddha (STAIRS), “CCRS
Post-Doctoral Fellowship Scheme (PDF) and Research Impregnation to the Teaching
professionals of Healthcare and Medicine in Siddha (RITHAMS) have been initiated to
strengthen research among students, faculty and researchers.
vii) Conducted various Seminars /Workshops/Conferences to disseminate the Siddha system of
medicine for the benefit of the Academia, Industry and general public as well.
Further National Institute of Siddha (NIS), an autonomous body of Ministry of Ayush
actively participates in national-level health promotion activities such as Arogya Melas and
health fairs, thereby increasing awareness and acceptance of the Siddha system. A notable
achievement includes setting a Guinness World Record on 18th December 2024 for the “Most
People Receiving Siddha Varmam Therapy Simultaneously,” highlighting the global relevance
of Siddha therapies. NIS also conducts mobile Siddha clinics in multiple locations on a regular
basis. These outreach initiatives play a crucial role in delivering preventive, promotive, and
curative healthcare services to rural and underserved populations, thereby contributing to public
health improvement.
(b) During the last three years, total an amount of Rs.144.68 Crores (i.e. Rs.44.2 Crore during
FY 2022-23, Rs.47.72 Crore during 2023-24 and Rs.52.76 Crore during FY 2024-25) has been
spent on development, research, drug manufacturing and public health services of Siddha medicineby CCRS. Beneficiaries of the activities done by the CCRS during the last three years are as
follows:
i) More than 5 lakh beneficiaries have availed healthcare services, including OPD, IPD,
Swasthya Rakshan Programme (SRP), health camps and awareness programmes.
ii) In the Mega Siddha Expo “Navaratna 2025” from 1st to 9th February 2025 at Chennai, a
free Siddha medical camp has been conducted in which more than 1350 patients were
benefitted and 800 free blood investigations facilitated, and more than 9,000 herbal
saplings were distributed to promote household herbal practices and environmental
sustainability.
iii) In the Mega Siddha Expo and Herbal Exhibition 2026 held from 03.01.2026 to 06.01.2026,
a free Siddha medical camp was organized and 520 patients were benefited.
In addition, during the last three years, expenditure amounting to Rs.228.01 Crores (i.e.
Rs.66.77 Crore in FY 2023-24, Rs.81.62 Crore in FY 2024-25 and Rs.79.62 Crore in FY 2025-
26) has been incurred by National Institute of Siddha for education, healthcare services, research
activities, and institutional development. Further, a total 266469 patients have been benefitted
through A-HMIS enabled services provided by the National Institute of Siddha (NIS), Chennai.
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