Lok Sabha Question No. 3 (STARRED), answered on 2019-06-21
Subject: Popularisation of AYUSH and Yoga
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Kanakmal Katara

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 3 TO BE ANSWERED ON 21 ST JUNE , 2019 POPULARISATION OF AY USH AND YOGA

## †*3. SHRI KANAKMAL KATARA:

Will  the  Minister  of  AYURVEDA,  YOGA  AND  NATUROPATHY,

UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  is  implementing  any  programme  to  popularize AYUSH system of medicine at the international level;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the steps taken by the Government to encourage people from abroad to India for yoga and spiritual activities; and
- (d) the action being taken by the Government to promote new technology protection, promotion and processing of herbs under AYUSH?

## 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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 3 * FOR 21 ST JUNE , 2019

(a) and (b) Under  Central  Sector  Scheme  for  promotion  of  International Cooperation, (IC Scheme), the Ministry of  AYUSH  undertakes  various measures  to  promote/  popularize  AYUSH  systems  of  medicine  across  the globe  such  as  organization  and  participation  in  International  exhibitions/ conferences/ workshops/ trade fairs, etc.  Incentives are provided to AYUSH drug manufacturers/ entrepreneurs/ AYUSH institutions, etc. for (a) participating in International exhibitions/ conferences/ workshops/ seminars/  road  shows/  trade  fairs,  etc.  for  generating  awareness  amongst the  participating  public  about  the  AYUSH  systems  of  medicine  and;  (b) registration of  AYUSH  products  with  regulatory  authorities  of  the  foreign countries.

As of now, Ministry of AYUSH has signed 18 Country to Country MoUs for Cooperation in field of Traditional Medicine and Homoeopathy. 19 MoUs for  undertaking  Collaborative  Research  /  Academic  collaboration  and  13 MoUs for setting up AYUSH Academic Chairs have been signed with foreign Universities.  The Ministry of AYUSH under its Fellowship Scheme offers 104 scholarships to the eligible foreign nationals from 98 countries for undertaking UG, PG and Ph.D courses in India. 31 AYUSH Information Cell have been set up in 28 countries to disseminate authentic information about AYUSH systems of Medicine.

Under  IC  Scheme  of  the  Ministry  of  AYUSH,  Ministry  of  AYUSH provides onetime non-recurring grant of Rs. 15.00 lakhs per Cell for initial setup followed by a recurring amount of Rs.5.00 Lakh per cell per annum to Indian Mission for its maintenance and to take up the AYUSH promotional activities. There is a provision of financial support upto  Rs. 100.00 lakh  for participation/ organization of International exhibitions/ conferences/ workshops/ seminars/ road shows/ trade fairs, etc. in India and abroad by the Ministry of AYUSH through Indian Mission/ CII/ FICCI/ ITPO/ ASSOCHAM/  Pharmexcil,  etc.  Financial support upto Rs.15.00 lakh is provided for organization of International conferences/ workshops/

seminars, etc. in India on AYUSH Systems by State Governments/ Universities/ eminent institutions or organizations etc. As informed by ICCR, International Day of Yoga (IDY) is celebrated in foreign countries in coordination with Indian Missions and Posts abroad for promotion  of Indian  Yoga.    ICCR  have  deployed  86  Indiabased  Yoga Teachers in Indian Missions/ Posts and Cultural Centres abroad (c) Consequent  to  adoption  of  21 st June  as  International  Day of  Yoga (IDY), Ministry of AYUSH has been organizing International Yoga Conferences  for  the  last  04  consecutive  years  wherein  Yoga  experts  or enthusiasts from across the globe are invited to participate. Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) and Institute of Post Graduate Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (IPGTRA) have been redesignated as WHO Collaborative Centres in Traditional Medicine. Ministry of AYUSH  had  launched  the  Scheme  for  'Voluntary  Certification  of  Yoga Professionals' developed by Quality Council of India (QCI), on 22nd June, 2015 during the 1 st International Conference on Yoga. The Scheme aims to certify  the  competence  level  of  Yoga  professionals  through  Certification Process. As  informed  by Ministry  of  Tourism, Medical  and  Wellness  Tourism including Yoga  and  Ayurveda has  been recognised  as  a  Niche  Tourism product  in  order  to  promote  India  as  a  365  days'  destination  and  attract tourists with specific interest.   A "National Medical and Wellness Tourism Board" has been constituted to provide a dedicated institutional framework to  take  forward  the  cause  of  promotion  of  Medical  and  Wellness  Tourism including Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH) system of medicine.   The Ministry of Tourism offers financial support for Publicity and for organising Wellness and Medical Tourism Promotion  shows /workshop/events/seminar  to  accredited  Medical  and  Wellness  Tourism Service Providers and Chambers of Commerce, etc.

Medical  and  Medical  attendant  visa  has  been  introduced  to  ease  the travel  process  of  Medical  Tourists and  the e-tourist  visa  regime  has  been expanded  to  include  medical  visit. The  Ministry  of  Tourism  promotes Medical  and  Wellness  Tourism  for  boosting  inflow  of  foreign  tourists  in  a holistic  manner, inter  alia ,  by running  campaigns  in  the  international markets under the Incredible India brand line; conducting Road Shows, Know India  Seminars;  participating  in  international  tourism  fairs  and  exhibitions and supporting events/ seminars / conferences which have focus on health and medical tourism.

- (d) National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) and Department of Biotechnology (DBT), Ministry of Science & Technology have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding  (MoU)  for  mutual  collaboration  to  explore the possibility of cooperation, convergence & synergy to have a biotechnological intervention in  AYUSH sector and to make a platform for exchange  of  information  between  both  the  organizations. The activities covered  for  protection  and promotion  of  medicinal  plants  include  use  of Ecological Niche modelling as developed by DBT on Rare, Endangered  and Threatened  (RET) species  of  medicinal  importance  for  their  conservation, augmentation, development and cultivation promotion.

Under Central Sector Scheme of NMPB on 'Conservation, Development and Sustainable Management of Medicinal Plants', the project based support is provided for protection of medicinal plants in wild by way of establishing Medicinal Plant Conservation and Development Area (MPCDA). Under above said Central Sector Scheme, the support is also provided to (JFMCs)/Panchayats/Van Panchayats /Block Management Committees (BMCs)/Self Help Groups (SHGs) for creation of facilities (including equipments for value addition through drying, de-stoning, cleaning, grading, pulverizing, processing, powdering,  billeting and  packaging,  extracting, warehousing,  etc.  Further,  under  the  NAM  scheme  of  Ministry  of  AYUSH, there  is  also  a  provision to  provide  support  for  setting  up  of  processing units for medicinal plants.

NMPB  in  collaboration  with  Regional  Remote  Sensing  Centre  West, Indian Space Research Organisation, Jodhpur has developed an application entitled ' Bhuvan e-HERBS' to Geo-tag all the stakeholders and implementing agencies on one platform. At present 237 projects have been geo-tagged on Bhuvan e-HERBS.