Lok Sabha Question No. 429 (STARRED), answered on 2022-04-01
Subject: Sowa-Rigpa Traditional Practitioners
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Jamyang Tsering Namgyal

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 429 TO BE ANSWERED ON 1 ST  APRIL, 2022

## SOWA-RIGPA TRADITIONAL PRACTITIONERS

## *429. SHRI JAMYANG TSERING NAMGYAL:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of traditionally trained SowaRigpa practitioners with/without having modern school certificates, State/UT-wise;
- (b) whether there is any provision for registration of the traditionally trained Sowa-Rigpa practitioners under the CCIM/National Commission for Indian System of Medicine with one time relaxation of modern educational qualification;
- (c) if so, the details thereof along with the time line fixed by the Ministry to complete the registration of Sowa-Rigpa traditional practitioners;
- (d) if not, the reason therefor;
- (e) whether the Government plans to establish the Central Council for Research in SowaRigpa to conduct scientific research in Sowa-Rigpa; and
- (f) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reason therefor?

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY(AYUSH)

(SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

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

## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 429* FOR 1 ST  APRIL, 2022

(a) :  The  National  Commission  for  Indian  System  of  Medicine  (NCISM)  Act, 2020 came into force with effective from 11 th June, 2021 to regulate the education and practice  of  Indian  System  of  Medicine  (including  Sowa-Rigpa).  NCISM  shall maintain a National Register for practitioners of Indian System of Medicine. As per the  records  available  with the  National  Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM), there are approximately two hundred institutionally qualified Sowa- Rigpa practitioners available in Himachal Pradesh and 45 practitioners in the areas of Leh, Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir .

(b) to  (d):  The  sub-section(1)  of  Section  33  of  the  National  Commission  for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) Act, 2020, specifies that 'any person who has a recognised qualification in Indian System of Medicine under this Act and qualifies the National Exit Test held under section 15 shall be granted a licence to practice Indian System of Medicine and shall have his name and qualifications enrolled first in the State Register and subsequently in the National Register maintained under this Act'. Accordingly, the persons having recognized qualifications of Sowa-Rigpa are enrolled in  the  concerned  State  Registers  and  are  entitled  to  practice  Sowa-Rigpa  system  of medicine. Vide Gazette notification no. S.O 1672(E) dated 5 th April, 2018,Ministry of Ayush  has  included  the  qualifications  namely,  Bachelor  of  Tibetan  Medicine  and Surgery(BTMS), Bachelor of Sowa-Rigpa Medicine and Surgery(BSRMS), Doctor of Sowa-Rigpa (MD/MS), Bachelor of Sowa-Rigpa Medicine and Surgery(BSMS) in the Second  Schedule  of  the  Indian  Medicine  Central  Council  Act,  1970  (now  NCISM Act,  2020).  Further,  vide  Gazette  notification  No.  F.  5-1/2017(CPP)-II  dated  14 th October, 2021, University Grants Commission (UGC) has included the Bachelor of Sowa-Rigpa Medicine and Surgery(BSRMS) degree in the Specification of Degrees under the University Grants Commission.

For registration of the traditionally trained Sowa-Rigpa practitioners there is no provision under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020. However,  the  rights  of  traditionally  trained  Sowa-Rigpa  practitioners  are  protected vide sub- section 3(c) of section 34 of the NCISM Act, 2020 which specifies that 'the right of a person who has been practicing Indian System of Medicine for not less than five years in State, to continue to practice in that State in which a State Register of Indian System of Medicine is not maintained as on the date of commencement of this Act.'.

(e) & (f):  In  the  year,  2019,  National  Institute  for  Sowa-Rigpa,  at  Leh,  Union Territory  of  Ladakh  has  been  established  with  the  mandate  to  provide  quality education  and  research  for  Sowa-  Rigpa  system  of  medicine  and  also  to  undertake interdisciplinary education and research programmes of Sowa- Rigpa in collaboration with premier national and international Institutes and facilitate integration of different system of medicine.  The objectives of the National Institute for Sowa-Rigpa, at Leh are as under:

(i) To provide quality education, research and health care in Sowa- Rigpa.

(ii) To provide more trained manpower in Sowa- Rigpa.

(iii) To  develop  as  Centre  of  Excellence  and  focus  on  fundamental  Research, Drug Safety evaluation,  Standardization,  quality  control  and  scientific  validation  of Sowa-Rigpa.

(iv) To impart reorientation training and continuing medical education to SowaRigpa Physicians and Teachers.

(v) To generate awareness about the potential and strength of Sowa- Rigpa and to promote growth and development of Sowa- Rigpa.

(vi) To produce undergraduates, post graduates and Ph.D in Sowa- Rigpa.

Further,  the  Ministry  of  Ayush  is  implementing  a  Central  Sector  Scheme namely  AYURGYAN  Scheme  ( erstwhile Extra  Mural  Research  Scheme),  wherein 'Research & Innovation in AYUSH' is a component of the said scheme.  Under this component,  funds  are  provided  for  Research  activities  in  all  stream  of  AYUSH (including Sowa Rigpa).