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GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF AYUSH
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4744
TO BE ANSWERED ON 20th MARCH, 2026
Siddha Practitioners
4744. Dr. Gumma Thanuja Rani:
Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:
(a) whether the Government is aware of the number of Siddha practitioners in India, including
the number that can successfully teach this system of medicine;
(b) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(c) the steps taken by the Government to develop capabilities to practice Siddha medicine
among the youth; and
(d) the details of the budgetary allocation for raising awareness about this traditional system
of medicine?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF MINISTRY OF AYUSH
(SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)
(a) & (b) All Siddha practitioners are required to be registered in the State Register and the
National Register maintained by the concerned State/ Union Territory Boards/Councils and the
Board of Ethics and Registration for Indian System of Medicine (BERISM) under National
Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) respectively. Total 8570 Siddha
practitioners have been registered in the National Register maintained by NCISM. The NCISM
(Minimum Essential Standards for Undergraduate Siddha Education) Regulations, 2022
prescribes the specific qualifications (post-graduation in relevant Siddha specialties) and
experiences that are mandatory for faculty appointments. There are currently 17 permitted
Siddha Medical Colleges providing undergraduate (BSMS) and postgraduate (MD Siddha)
education. NCISM continues to monitor and regulate the faculty data through the Online
Teacher Management System (OTMS) to ensure transparency and maintain the quality of
Siddha education in India. Currently, 924 number of Siddha faculties have been enrolled on
OTMS.
(c) National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) through its regulations
mandates for fully functional attached teaching hospital to all Siddha institutions with the
purpose of providing adequate clinical training to the students and thereby develops capabilities
to practice Siddha system of medicine. Also, Ministry of Ayush through Central Council for
Research in Siddha (CCRS) organizes various academic, training and capacity-buildingprogrammes to facilitate exposure to Siddha principles, clinical practices, research methodology
thereby encouraging young practitioners to actively engage in Siddha practice.
(d) Ministry of Ayush implements the Information, Education and Communication (IEC)
Scheme to promote awareness, adoption, and integration of Ayush systems including Siddha in
preventive healthcare. Under IEC scheme, there is no separate budgetary allocation for Siddha
System of medicine, however Ministry successfully organized Siddha Day 2024 in Chennai
with a budget of Rs.93,71,615/- to enhance public outreach. National-level Arogya Fairs are
also held, with participation from institutions like the National Institute of Siddha and the
Central Council for Research in Siddha offering free health check-ups, medicines, and
information on Siddha therapies. Further, Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS) has
spent an amount of Rs.1.35 crore for raising awareness about Siddha System of Medicine in the
previous financial year i.e. 2025-26. Moreover, National Institute of Siddha (NIS) conducts
awareness activities from their Grant-in-aid allocated under General head.
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