Lok Sabha Question No. 335 (STARRED), answered on 2017-03-24
Subject: Policy for Medicinal Plants
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: MANOJ RAJORIA

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 335 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 24 th March, 2017

## POLICY FOR MEDICINAL PLANTS

## *335. DR. MANOJ RAJORIA:

Will  the  Minister  of AYURVEDA, YOGA  AND  NATUROPATHY, UNANI,

SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Central Council in Ayurveda and Unani have conducted medicoethno survey for documentation and publishing the medicinal plants and if so, the detail s thereof;
- (b) whether the Government proposes to formulate a policy for aromatic plants and forest produce and if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether the Government has received a number of suggestions in this regard; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with action taken by the Government in this direction?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE ( IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a) to (d): A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEM ENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 335 FOR 24 th March, 2017

(a): Yes, the research councils of Ministry of AYUSH viz. Central Council for Research  in  Ayurvedic Sciences  (CCRAS)  and  Central  Council  for  Research  in Unani Medicines (CCRUM) conducts medico - ethnobotanical survey and documentation  of  medicinal  plants  through  their  research  institutes  and located  in  different  parts  of  the  country  and  published  th em  periodically.    The CCRAS  and  CCRUM  has  conducted  Medico- ethnobotanical  survey  across different  forest  areas  /  geographical  regions  in  the  country  and  the monographs / book published are at Annexure - I & II.

(b) to (d): To  look  into  all  matters r lated  to  medicinal  plants  and  overall development of medicinal plants sector in the country, the Government of I has set up National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) in 2000.   Since its incep the NMPB has been implementing various schemes / progr ammes for conservation, development, sustainable managements, cultivation of the medic & aromatic plants of medicinal value in the country and presently, impleme the following schemes:

- (i) Central  Sector  Scheme  on  'Conservation,  Development  and  Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants'
- (ii)Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National AYUSH Mission (NAM)

The  subject  of  medicinal  &  aromatic  plants  is  of  a  multi - sector,  multi -stakeholder and mu lti - dimensional nature which is dealt by different Ministrie Departments of Government who implements various schemes / programmes in this regards.

However, in recent years an alarming imbalance has been observed betwee growing  demand  and  shrinking  su pply  of  medicinal  &  aromatic  plants  in  the country  and  this  has  also  resulted  in  overexploitation,  depletion  of populations of many of these species.  Therefore, to give a more focused at on  sustainable  management  and  development  of  medicina l  &  aromatic  plants sector in the country, a need is felt for a comprehensive and suitable natio policy on medicinal & aromatic plants of India.

Hence, in this regard, the NMPB, Ministry of AYUSH on 19 - 20  January, 2017 had organized an ' Internati onal Symposium on Drafting a National Policy of Medicinal  and  Aromatic  Plants  of  India' in  collaboration  with  Federation  of Medicinal  and  Aromatic  Plants  Stakeholders  (FEDMAPS)  in  New  Delhi.    The major thrust areas of symposium were (i) Forest & Conservati on, (ii) Cultivation, Sustainable Harvesting & Post - Harvest Management, (iii) Information, Education & Communication, (iv) Research & Development, (v) Regulatory Mechanism, (vi) Training & Capacity Building, (vii) Industry, Trade & Marketing, (v Networking & IT / Space Intervention, (ix) Export Promotion and (x) Programs Schemes.

The  symposium  was  attended  by  various  medicinal  &  aromatic  plants stakeholders  viz.  policy makers,  scientists,  academicians,  traditional practitioners,  pharmaceutical trade  and  drug  industries,  NGOs,  farmers  etc.  and during  the  symposium  they  have  exchanged  their  ideas  and  discussed  vario issues  related  to  conservation,  cultivation,  regulations,  research  &  devel marketing  &  trade  of  medicinal  and  aromatic  plan ts.    After  the  symposium  a number of suggestions regarding national policy on different aspects of med & aromatic plants are also received from various stakeholders and in this re an outcome of the symposium, an assignment has been entrusted to FEDMAPS to frame a draft document on 'National Policy of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants'.

******

## Annexure-I

## List of Books Published by CCRAS on Medico-ethnobotanical Survey

|   S. No. | Title of the Document                                                                                     | Year of Publication   |
|----------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
|        1 | Preliminary Techno Economical Survey of Natural Resources and Herbal Wealth of Laddakh (English)-         | 1976                  |
|        2 | Tribal Pockets of Nilgiris Recordings of the Field Study on Medical Flora and Health Practices (English)  | 1976                  |
|        3 | Uttarakhand Vanoushadhi Darshika (English)                                                                | 1977                  |
|        4 | Observations of Medico-Botany of Andaman-Nicobar Islands (English)                                        | 1988                  |
|        5 | Contribution to the Medico-Botany of East Godavari and West Godavari District of Andhra Pradesh (English) | 1989                  |
|        6 | Medico-Botanical Exploration of Puri District (Orissa) - English                                          | 1989                  |
|        7 | Glimpses of Medico-Botany of Bastar District (M.P.) - English                                             | 1990                  |
|        8 | Medico-Ethno-Botanical Explorations of Sikkim Himalayas                                                   | 1991                  |
|        9 | Medico-Ethno-Botany of Sonebhadra District (English)                                                      | 1993                  |
|       10 | Medico-Botanical Exploration of Phulbani and Koraput districts of Orissa (E)                              | 1996                  |
|       11 | A Report on Medical Plants of Kachchh (Gujarat) - English                                                 | 1998                  |
|       12 | Medicinal Plants of Nagpur and Wardha Forest Divisions, Maharashtra (E)                                   | 1999                  |
|       13 | Sadi Mittar Dugar Deeyan Jadiyan-Butiyan (Dogari)                                                         | 1999                  |
|       14 | Database on Medicinal Plants used in Ayurveda Vol. 1 to 8                                                 | 2000-2007             |
|       15 | Hamari Mitra Jammu-Pradesh ki Vanaushdhiyan (Hindi)                                                       | 2003                  |
|       16 | Healing Herbs of Himalaya (English)                                                                       | 2008                  |
|       17 | Himalaya ki Arogyadayi Vanaspatiyan (Hindi)                                                               | 2008                  |
|       18 | Herbal Wealth of Uttarakhand-Vol 1                                                                        | 2014                  |
|       19 | Herbal Wealth of Uttarakhand-Vol 2                                                                        | 2015                  |

## Annexure-II

## List of Books Published by CCRUM on Medico-ethnobotanical Survey

|   S. No. | Title of the Document                                                                           |   Year of Publication |
|----------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------|
|        1 | A contribution to the medicinal plants of Aligarh                                               |                  1981 |
|        2 | Medicinal plants of Gwalior forest division, Madhya Pradesh                                     |                  1984 |
|        3 | Contribution to the Unani Medicinal Plants from North Arcot district, Tamil Nadu                |                  1992 |
|        4 | Medicinal plants of Andhra Pradesh, Part -I                                                     |                  1999 |
|        5 | Potential anti-malarial herbal drugs from South Eastern India- Bihar & Orissa                   |                  2000 |
|        6 | Medicinal Plants in Folklores of Northern India                                                 |                  2001 |
|        7 | Medicinal Plants in Folklores of Bihar and Orissa                                               |                  2001 |
|        8 | Medicinal Plants in Folklores of Southern India                                                 |                  2001 |
|        9 | Medicinal Plants in Folklores of Kashmir Himalayas                                              |                  2001 |
|       10 | Medicinal Plants in Folklores of Northern India Part- II                                        |                  2006 |
|       11 | Medicinal Plants in Folklores of Orissa Part - II                                               |                  2006 |
|       12 | Medicinal Plants in Folklores of Southern India Part - II                                       |                  2006 |
|       13 | Unani Medicinal Plants of Tarai Forests in Kumaon region of Uttarakhand                         |                  2008 |
|       14 | Unani Medicinal Plants of Siddharthnagar Forest Division, Uttar Pradesh                         |                  2010 |
|       15 | Unani Medicinal Plants of Andhra Pradesh Part-I                                                 |                  2010 |
|       16 | Unani Medicinal Plants of Dindigul District, Tamil Nadu                                         |                  2012 |
|       17 | Medicinal in Folklores of Odisha Part -III                                                      |                  2014 |
|       18 | Unani Medicinal Plants and their folklore claims from Chamrajnagar Wildlife Division, Karnataka |                  2015 |