Lok Sabha Question No. 92 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-02-02
Subject: Ban on Ayurvedic Products
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: RAMESH POKHRIYAL NISHANK

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

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTIO N NO. 92 TO BE ANSWERED ON 2 ND FEBRUARY, 2018

## BAN ON AYURVEDIC PRO DUCTS

## 92. DR. RAMESH POKHRIYAL "NISHANK":

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

- (a) the total percentage of population that uses ayurvedic medicine in the country;
- (b) the quantum of ayurvedic medicines exported;
- (c)whether  some  countries  have  banned  Indian  ayurvedic  products  on  the  ground  that  th contain higher than the permissible levels of heavy metal components;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (e) the special steps taken by the Government for the conservation, promotion and publicit ancient literature in the field of ayurveda?

## ANSWER

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

- (a) : As per key indicators of the NSSO 71 st round onSocial Consumption on Health in India conducted  during  January - June  2014,  it  was  found  higher  inclination  towards  allopathy treatment around 90%, only 5 to 7 percent usage of 'other' including AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) has been reported both in rural and urb area. Further, taking treatment from Allopathy or Indian Systems of Medicine is the choice of the people.
- (b) : The quantum of A yurvedic medicines exported is 1, 26, 74,96 kgs during the year 2016- 17.

Contd……..

( c) : As per available information, i n  New York (USA) about 69 medicines are banned on Indian ayurvedic products on the ground that they contain higher than the permissible level heavy metal component.

( d) : Minerals and metals form an integral part of specific category of Ayurvedic, Siddh Unani  formulations  called  'Rasaushadhies'.  Such ingredients  are  used  in  the  preparation  of medicines  after  subjecting  them  to  certain  pharmaceutical  processes  including  'shodhana (detoxification)', 'marana (incineration & calcination)', and 'amritikarana (qualitative improvement)' to render them safe an d therapeutically effective, with rational use. In this reg Part - I, Volume - VII of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India mentions the quality standards 21  minerals  &  metals  for  regulating  the  use  of  these  ingredients  in  the  manufactur Ayurvedic,Siddha  and  Unani  drugs.  Schedule -E  (1)  of  the  Drugs  &  Cosmetics  Rules,  1945 contains  the  list  of  69  potentially  hazardous  substances  of  plant,  mineral  and  anima including  heavy  metals.  As  per  Rule  161  of  the  Drugs  &  Cosmetics  Rules,  1945,  in  case of formulations  containing  any  of  the  Schedule -E  (1)  ingredients,  it  is  mandatory  for  the manufacturer to display  on the label 'Caution: to be taken under medical supervision' both in English and Hindi languages.

(e) : Traditional  Knowledge  Digital  Lib rary  (TKDL)  is  a  pioneering  Indian  initiative  to prevent exploitation and to protect Indian traditional knowledge from wrongful patents ma International Patent Offices. India's rich and time - tested traditional medicinal knowledge which exists  in  lan guages  such  as  Sanskrit,  Hindi,  Arabic,  Persian,  Urdu,  Tamil  etc.  is  nei accessible nor comprehensible for patent examiners at the international patent offices contains  Indian  traditional  medicine  knowledge  available  in  public  domain  and  pertai to classical/ traditional books related to Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha in a digitized forma available in five international languages (English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese) .

(ii) Indian  Patent  Office  has  also  brought  out  Guidelines  for  pro c sing  Patent  Applications relating to Traditional Knowledge and Biological Material to help Patent examiner to a what constitutes novelty and inventive step in Traditional Knowledge (TK) related inventio .

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