Lok Sabha Question No. 3114 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: AYUSH Grid Project
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri C N Annadurai

## 3114 Shri C N Annadurai:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  set  any  target  to  develop  and  popularize  Ayurvedic  way  of medicine in the country and if so, the details thereof and the target achieved during the last three years and current year alongwith the challenges faced in this regard;
- (b) the details of number of Ayurvedic Wellness centres functioning in the State of Tamil Nadu;
- (c)  whether  the  Government  has  launched  AYUSH  Grid  Project  to  strengthen  the  service delivery of the AYUSH sector and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the Government has taken steps to strengthen and expedite various R&D projects in Ayurveda during each of the last three years and if so, the details thereof; and
- (e)  the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  make  the  Ayurveda  system  of medicine more effective?

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3114 ANSWERED ON 09.08.2024 AYUSH Grid Project

## ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYUSH (SHRI PRATAPRAO JADHAV)

- (a) Ministry of Ayush is implementing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of National Ayush Mission (NAM)  through  State/UT  Governments  and providing financial assistance to them for development and promotion of Ayush System including Ayurveda as per the NAM guidelines. The mission inter-alia makes provision for following activities: (i) Operationalization of Ayush Health & Wellness Centres now renamed as Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush) including Ayurveda. (ii)  Co-location  of  Ayush  facilities  including  Ayurveda  at  Primary  Health  Centres  (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospitals (DHs). (iii) Upgradation of existing standalone Government Ayush Hospitals including Ayurveda. (iv)  Upgradation  of  existing  Government/Panchayat/Government  aided  Ayush  Dispensaries/ Construction  of  building  for  existing  Ayush  Dispensary  (Rented/dilapidated  accommodation)/ Construction of building to establish new Ayush Dispensary including Ayurveda. (v) Setting up of 10/30/50 bedded integrated Ayush Hospitals including Ayurveda. (vi)  Supply  of  essential  drugs  to  Government  Ayush  Hospitals,  Government  Dispensaries  and Government/Government aided Teaching Institutional Ayush Hospitals including Ayurveda. (vii) Ayush Public Health Programmes. (viii) Behavior Change Communication (BCC). (ix) Mobility support at State and District level. (x) Ayush Gram.
- (xi) Establishment of new Ayush colleges including Ayurveda in the States where availability of AYUSH teaching institutions is inadequate in Government Sector.

(xii)  Infrastructural  development  of  Ayush  Under-Graduate  Institutions  and  Ayush  PostGraduate Institutions including Ayurveda / add on PG/ Pharmacy/Para-Medical Courses.

As per the proposals received from the State/UT Governments during the last 3 years, Ministry of Ayush has released an amount of Rs.1873.20 crore for implementation of different approved activities  under  NAM.  However,  during  the  current  Financial  Year  Grant-in-aid  could  not  be released to the State/UT Governments due to non-compliance of time to time issued guidelines by  the  Department  of  Expenditure,  Ministry  of  Finance  for  release  of  grants.   Since,  the implementation of Scheme comes under the purview of respective State/UT Governments, target has not been fixed by the Ministry.

(b) Public Health being a State subject, setting up of Ayurvedic Wellness Centres comes under the purview of respective State/UT Governments including Tamil Nadu. However, under NAM there is a provision of financial assistance to the State/UT Governments for operationalization of Ayushman Arogya Mandir (Ayush) including Ayurveda by upgrading existing Ayush Dispensaries and Health Sub centres. As per the proposals received from the State Government of Tamil Nadu through SAAPs, Ministry of Ayush has 650 AAM (Ayush) in Tamil Nadu and as reported by the State Government are functional.

(c ) The  Ministry  of  Ayush  envisaged  the  Ayush  grid  project  to  be  the  IT  backbone  of  entire Ayush sector allowing integration of all stakeholders (including all entities under the Ministry) and functions/ services related to Ayush sector. From a user's perspective, the Ayush Grid shall be an integration of  IT  projects  of  all  streams  of  Ayush  viz.  Ayurveda,  Yoga  &  Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Homeopathy in their functional areas. As on date, Ayush Grid project has not been developed by the Ministry of Ayush.

(d)  Government  of  India,  Ministry  of  Ayush  has  set  up  Central  Council  for  Research  in Ayurvedic  Sciences  (CCRAS)  an  autonomous  organization  for  undertaking,  coordinating, formulating, developing and promoting research on scientific lines in Ayurvedic sciences. The core  Research  Activities  are  Clinical  Research,  Medicinal  Plant  Research  (Medico-ethno botanical  Survey,  Pharmacognosy,  and  Cultivation),  Drug  Standardization,  Pharmacological Research,  Literary  Research  &  Documentation  Programme,  Public  Health  research-oriented activities.  Besides  this,  Healthcare  services  through  Outpatient  Departments  (OPDs),  Inpatient

Departments (IPDs), Special clinics for Geriatric Health care are also being provided. CCRAS is also doing various Research & Development activities in collaboration with institutes of National repute  such  as  All  India  Institute  of  Medical  Sciences  (AIIMS)  New  Delhi,  Banaras  Hindu University (BHU), Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi, IIT Guwahati, Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU),  Indian  Council  of  Medical  Research (ICMR),  Council  of  Scientific  & Industrial Research (CSIR), National Institute of Mental Health and Neuro Sciences (NIMHANS)- Bangalore, Directorate General of Armed Forces Medical Services (DGAFMS), National  Institute  of  Pharmaceutical  Education  and  Research  (NIPER),  Institute  of  Liver  and Biliary  Sciences  (ILBS)  etc.  Further,  during  last  3  years,  246  research  projects  have  been completed and 196 projects are ongoing through CCRAS.

(e) Ministry  of  Ayush  is  supporting  the  efforts  of  State/UT  Governments  for  overall development and  promotion of Ayush systems including Ayurveda in the country by providing financial assistance to them for under activities as mentioned in part (a) of this reply,   so that effective  health  care  may  be  provided  to  the  community  through  different  Ayush  system including  Ayurveda.  Further,  following  initiatives  are  taken  by  Ministry  of  Ayush  to  make Ayurveda System of Medicine more effective:

Ministry of Ayush implements a Central Sector Scheme for Promotion of Information, Education and Communication (IEC) in Ayush to create awareness regarding Ayush Systems of Medicine including Ayurveda. This scheme aims to reach out to all sections of the population across the country and under this Scheme, Ministry organizes National/State level Arogya Fairs, Yoga  Fests/Utsavs,  Ayurveda  Parvs,  Celebrate  Important  Days  of  Ayush  Systems  including Ayurveda day, Participate in Health Fairs/ Melas & Exhibitions, Provide financial assistance for organizing seminars, workshops, conferences and conduct multimedia campaigns etc.

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