Lok Sabha Question No. 293 (STARRED), answered on 2017-08-04
Subject: Herbal Medicines/Products
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: JANAK RAM, DUSHYANT CHAUTALA

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

LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 293 TO BE ANSWERED ON 4 TH AUGUST, 2017 HERBAL MEDICINES/PRO DUCTS

†*293. SHRI JANAK RAM:

## SHRI DUSHYANT CHAUTALA:

Will the Minister of AYURVEDA, YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

- (a)  the number  of  complaints  received  against  misleading  advertisements/cl regarding herbal medicines/products made in the electronic/print media dur last three years;
- (b)  whether  the  Government  has  also  received  complaints  regarding  sale  of herbal  medicines/products  in  the  market  without  any  certified  clinical incidents of death of people after using these medicines/products; and
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the steps taken by the Governmen these misleading ad vertisements/ claims and the success achieved as a result th

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

- (a) to ( c):  A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

## STATEMENT REFFERED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA

## STARRED QUESTION NO. 293 FOR 4 TH AUGUST, 2017

( a) Ministry of AYUSH received 79 complaints in the year 2014 abou advertisements  and  misleading  claims  allegedly  of  herbal  and  AYUSH  produ Thereafter, 515 AYUSH - related complaints of misleading advertisements appear in  the  print  and  electronic  media  ha ve  been  escalated  by  Advertising  Standards Council  of  India  (ASCI)  out  of  the  cases  registered  in  the  'Grievances  Against Misleading Advertisements (GAMA)' portal of the Department of Consumer Affairs since March 2015 till date.

( b) & c) A news item appeared in The Times of India dated 25 th October, 2016 ,came to the notice of Ministry of AYUSH about the death of three persons in Tenka of Tamil Nadu after consuming herbal medicine taken from a local practition issue  was  Suo - moto taken  up  with  the  concerned  State  Licensing  Authority,  w after investigating the matter ,reported that the alleged herbal medicine in the for concoction for diabetes and hypertension was given by an unregistered practi three patients and tw o of them died. The practitioner in an attempt to demonstra safety of that concoction before the public consumed the said herbal medicin also  died.  Analysis  report  of  the  herbal  medicine  did  not  reveal  presenc poisonous  content,  where as  the  viscera  reports  of  the  deceased  persons  found presence of organophosphorus insecticide in the liver, kidney, stomach and i One of the patients who consumed the alleged herbal medicine is reported t recovered.

In  the  given  context ,  it is  pertinent  to  state  that the  category  of  herbal medicines/products ,as such ,is not defined in the Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 an Rules thereunder. However, p oof of safety and effectiveness ,as required for issuing license to manufacture Ayurvedic , Siddha or Unani medicines ,is prescribed in the guidelines  under  Rule  158 - B  of  the  Drugs  &  Cosmetics  Rules,  1945,  which  can either be based on textual rationale from the authoritative books listed Schedule  to  the  Drugs  &  Cosmetics  Act  or  pub lished  literature;  and  if  no  such evidence  of  effectiveness  of  the  drug  is  available,  it  needs  to  be  gen conducting the pilot study.

In  order  to  check  the  veracity  of  misleading  advertisements  of  AY products, the Central Government has taken following steps -

- I. Issued directives to the State Governments for appointing Gazetted offi monitoring of advertisements of drugs.
- II. Complaints  of  misleading  advertisements  of  Ayurvedic,  Siddha,  Unani Homoeopathic  medicines  are  forwarded  to the  concerned  State  Licensing Authorities for action in accordance with the provisions of Drugs & Cos Act, 1940 and Rules thereunder and Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectionab Advertisements) Act, 1954 and Rules thereunder. States have reported n taken against the defaulters.
- III. Ministry of AYUSH has signed MoU with Advertising Standards Council o India (ASCI) on 20 th January, 2017 to undertake monitoring of the misleadi AYUSH -related advertisements appearing in print and TV media and b th e instances of improper advertisements to the notice of the State Re Authorities for taking necessary action.
- IV. Press Council of India has laid down norms for advising the newspape reject advertisements that offend the provisions of Drugs & Ma gic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954.
- V. Ministry of Information & Broadcasting has issued an advisory to all channels to ensure strict compliance of the provisions of Drugs & Cos Act, 1940 and Drugs & Magic Remedies (Objectiona ble Advertisements) Act, 1954  in  respect  of  AYUSH  health  products/drugs.  TV  channels  have  be advised to advertise only those AYUSH products, which have val manufacturing license.

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