Parliament Question: Research on Traditional Desi System

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2178 TO BE ANSWERED ON 31.07.2026 Research on Traditional Desi System 2178. Shri Anil Yeshwant Desai: Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state: (a) whether the Government has ever made conducted study or research to assess the effectiveness of traditional desi system practiced by the Vaidyaraj and Hakim particularly for Jaundice, stomach ache, unconsciousness, snake bites and if so, the details thereof; (b) whether there is any system to integrate both the traditional system of treatment and the treatment provided by the modern medical practitioners so as to restore the glory of the traditional system of treatment and if so, the details thereof; and (c) the details of the names of the research Institutions involved in such studies / research in the country along with the authentication of the conclusions / reports in this regard? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV) (a) The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is actively involved in collecting and documenting the traditional practices and herbal formulations by its two programs namely; Tribal Health Care Research Programme (THCRP) and Medico Ethno- Botanical Survey (MEBS). These programmes aim to provide Ayurveda healthcare services; in addition, awareness lectures are conducted on Ayurveda-based lifestyle practices, such as Dincharya, Ritucharya and Pathya-Apathya, for health promotion and disease prevention. The program also include the distribution of IEC materials and documentation of Local Health Traditions (LHT)/Folklore practices. Local Health Traditions (LHT), Ethno-Medical Practices (EMP), and folklore claims are documented and validated by the council for uniqueness/novelty. All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi undertakes clinical and translational research on ethnomedical claims, tribal and folklore-based traditional health practices, and other community-based healthcare traditions after due scientific validation, authentication, and ethical approval. Such research is conducted using established scientific methodologies to generate evidence regarding the safety, efficacy, and therapeutic potential of these traditional healthcare practices. (b)&(c) A Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) between Ministry of Ayush and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) was signed on 11th May 2023, to promote Integrative Health Research. The objective of this MoA is to promote and develop cooperation and collaboration 1on health research between M/o Ayush and ICMR to explore the areas of collaboration and synergy between Ministry of Ayush and ICMR for integrative health research and also to strengthen the research capacity of Ayush and ICMR scientists. The Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) is working on Integrative Health research in collaboration with various institutions namely the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), other Research Councils under the Ministry of Ayush, All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), and other medical, research and academic institutions. Under Ayush-ICMR joint collaboration, the study titled “Efficacy and safety of Punarnavadi Mandura alone and in combination with Drakshavaleha compared to iron folic acid in the treatment of moderate iron deficiency anaemia among non-pregnant women of reproductive age group: a community-based three arm multicentre randomized controlled trial” has been completed. Integrated treatment protocols are used for various diseases conditions through collaboration between the National Institute of Ayurveda (NIA), Jaipur and other modern medical institutions, with the aim of generating scientific evidence for traditional systems of medicine. North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Homoeopathy, (NEIAH), Shillong has integrated modern practices in physiotherapy, dentistry and dietary etc. in its hospital to provide a comprehensive health care for patients benefit. Moreover, laboratory and radiology procedures are routinely conducted to supplement the Ayurvedic diagnosis of patients. As part of compulsory rotatory internship programme, NEIAH collaborates with the Primary Healthcare Centres by sending interns to various hospitals and PHCs under the Government of Meghalaya. The All India Institute of Ayurveda has 200 bedded tertiary care hospital with functional ICU. The hospital functions as a model integrative medicine hospital for Ayurveda, and also has modern medicine specialists in various clinical, para clinical departments. Moreover, AIIA has established functional integrated cancer clinic and research centre at AIIMS, Jajjhar, and Integrative medicine at Safdarjung Hospital, VM Medical College, New Delhi. Under Central Government Health Scheme (CGHS), healthcare services are provided through both Allopathic and AYUSH systems of medicine. CGHS beneficiaries have the option to avail treatment under either system. The choice of treatment depends on the beneficiary's clinical condition, medical requirements, and the treating physician's professional assessment. **** 2