Lok Sabha Question No. 3167 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2024-08-09
Subject: Traditional Medicines
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri Rajkumar Roat

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3167 TO BE ANSWERED ON 09 th  AUGUST, 2024

'Traditional Medicines'

3167 Shri Rajkumar Roat:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a)  whether  the  tribal  communities  treat  many  diseases  using  traditional  medicines without any side-effects and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the details of the efforts made by the Government to conserve these medicines;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to carry out research, conserve and include these valuable medicines and herbs in Ayurvedic treatment;
- (d) if so, the details thereof along with the time fixed for the same; and
- (e) if not, the reasons therefor?

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

(a)  No  such  information  is  available  in  this  Ministry.  However,  National  Biodiversity Authority (NBA) facilitated State Biodiversity Boards (SBBs) and Biodiversity Management  committees  (BMCs)  at  village  to  document  the  biological  resources  and associated knowledge in the form of a People's Biodiversity Registers (PBR). As on date, 2.68 lakh PBRs  have  been  documented across the country. The PBR  contains comprehensive information related to biological resources, traditional knowledge, the use of bio-resources, vaids, hakims, including community-based healthcare practices.

Further,  Central  Council  for  Research  in  Ayurvedic  Sciences  (CCRAS)  under Ministry of Ayush is actively engaged in the documentation & validation of Local Health traditions/Folk  lore  practices,  through  two  activities  as  Tribal  Health  Care  Research Programme  (THCRP)  at  14  peripheral  institutes  &  Medico  Ethno  Botanical  Survey (MEBS) at 19 peripheral institutes.

Siddha  Medicinal  Plants  Garden  (SMPG),  Mettur  functioning  under  Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS), has documented various claims from the tribal community viz., folklore claims, ethnomedical practices, which are paving the lead for recording their beneficial treatment practices to treat various ailments.

(b) 12 National Institutes and 05 Research Councils under the aegis of Ministry of Ayush are  engaged  in  Outpatient  &  Indoor  patient  services,  co-coordinating,  formulating, developing  and  promoting  research  on  scientific  lines  in  Ayush  systems  of  healthcare. These  Institutes/  Councils  organizes  Arogya  Melas,  Awareness  Camps,  Treatment Camps, Radio & TV talks, outreach programs like Swasthya Rakshan Program (SRP), Schedule  Caste  Sub  Plan  (SCSP)  Research  Program,  Tribal  Health  Care  Research Program  (THCRP)  for  creating  awareness  on  Ayush  systems  of  healthcare  among  the general  public.  The  Councils  conducts  research  in  the  diverse  areas  comprising  of Clinical  Research,  Medicinal  Plant  Research,  Drug  Standardization  &  Quality  Control; Pharmacological  Research  and  Literary  &  Fundamental  Research  to  generate  tangible evidence.  Details  of  efforts  by  National  Institutes  and  Research  Councils  to  conserve traditional medicines are at Annexure-I.

(c) and (d) Yes Sir.   National  Medicinal  Plant  Board  (NMPB),  Ministry  of  Ayush  is presently  implementing  'Central  Sector  Scheme  for  Conservation,  Development  and Sustainable  Management  of  Medicinal  Plants'  throughout  the  country.  Under  this scheme,  project  based  support  is  provided  to  State  Forest  Departments  for  in-situ conservation of medicinal plants by way of establishing Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs), plantation of medicinal plants/herbs through in-situ resource  augmentation  in  forest  areas.  Further,  details  of  work  undertaken  by  National

Institute and Research Councils under Ministry of Ayush to carry out research, conserve and include traditional medicines and herbs in Ayurvedic treatment are at Annexure-II.

- (e)  Does not arise.

******

## Details  of  efforts  by  National  Institutes  and  Research  Councils  to  conserve  traditional medicines are as follows -

|   S.no. | Name of the organisation/ Institute                        | Details of efforts by National Institutes and Research Councils to conserve traditional medicines                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) | The knowledge is documented in the structured format & published time to time in order to conserve the knowledge.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|       2 | Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM)     | For revitalization of local health traditions, CCRUM has conducted ethnobotanical Surveys in different forest zones of the under Survey & Cultivation of Medical Plants Program which has been undertaken by its Centres namely NRIUMSD, Hyderabad, RRIUM's Aligarh, Chennai, Bhadrak, Srinagar. During the ethnobotanical surveys, about 10,000 folklore claims on the plants used by local people as local health traditions for curbing and eradicating diseases have been collected and documented.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|       3 | Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH)         | CCRH has undertaken following activities in tribal areas with Homoeopathy:  CCRH in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Family Welfare and AYUSH have undertaken a pilot project of integrating Homoeopathy and Yoga in the National Program for the Prevention of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases, And Stroke (NPCDCS), at four districts -Krishna (Andhra Pradesh), Darjeeling, (West Bengal), Sambalpur (Odisha)and Nasik (Maharashtra)  Homoeopathy for Healthy Child at 'Amer Block Jaipur, Rajasthan (from April 2017 to September, 2018) in 19 tribal villages and Kanke block, Ranchi, Jharkhand (from October, 2017 to July 2020) covering 8 villages.  Health Camps in Tribal areas in 06 villages of Ranchi, Port Blair and Gangtok was also undertaken.  Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy is conducting research study in tribal areas at Gangtok, in the state of Sikkim through its Clinical Research Unit at Gangtok. The title of the study, 'Folklore survey of local medicinal plants in Sikkim'. Further, CCRH had published a book entitled 'Plants in ethnomedicine of the Nilgiri tribes in Tamil Nadu, India' in the year 2009, which comprises the ethnobotanical uses of medicinal plants used by Nilgiri tribal groups. In this book the ethnobotanical uses of more than 150 plants have been reported. |

|   4. | Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS)                          | CCRS has executed steps to conserve and preserve effective health practices/ traditional medicines used by local tribal community in different parts of the country through IMR projects and documentation of medicinal plant for the treatment of various diseases by taking up field visits/survey by Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden (SMPG), Mettur functioning under Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS), Chennai. The main objectives of this medicinal plant garden isto promote, propagate, conserve and cultivate medicinal plants in addition to medico ethnobotanical study on medicinal plants. Following projects has been undertaken by CCRS -  Digitalization of Herbarium, Museum and compilation of folklore claims of Siddha Medicinal Plant Unit (SMPU), Palayamkottai, Tamil Nadu.  Siddha Medicinal Plants Garden, MetturDam of CCRS conducted medico-ethnobotanical study at Palamalai Hills under IMR Project during the period of 2016 to 2019.  A survey on the ethnomedicinally important plants for common ailments in Tiruppur District, Tamil Nadu under IMR Project.   |
|------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    5 | National Institute of Unani Medicine (NIUM)                            | Surveys are being conducted to explore traditional plants used in medicines.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |
|    6 | National Institute of Sowa Rigpa (NISR)                                | Government of India has recognized Sowa-Rigpa medicine in the year 2010 and Ministry of Ayush has established National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa in ladakh U.T. in the year 2020.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 |
|    7 | North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) | NEIAFMR Pasighat is doing following two projects on traditional healing - i. Documentation & Validation of healing practices and Folk Medicinal claims among Ao tribes of Mokokchung District, Nagaland. ii. Documentation and Validation of Traditional Bone setters of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia tribes of Meghalaya.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |

Details of work undertaken by National Institute and Research Councils under Ministry of Ayush  to  carry  out  research,  conserve  and  include  traditional  medicines  and  herbs  in Ayurvedic treatment are as follows -

|   S.no. | Name of the organisation/ Institute                                    | Details of efforts by National Institutes and Research Councils to conserve traditional medicines                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|---------|------------------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|       1 | Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS)             | CCRAS has published outcome of Tribal Health Care Research Programme & Medico Ethno Botanical Survey programe in the form of books 24 books/monographs/ technical reports.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |
|       2 | Institute of Teaching & Training in Ayurveda (ITRA)                    | ITRA has carried out research on folk lore medicine Thumari , which are as follows- 1. Efficacy of Thumari Malahara in the management of diabetic ulcers; An open labelled, standard controlled clinical trial 2. A clinical study of Thumari ( Securinega leucopyrus ) cream and povidone iodine in the management of Madhumeha Janya Vrana (w.s.r. to Diabetic wounds)'-A randomized standard control trial. 3. Efficacy of Panchvalkala Malahara and Thumari Malahara in the management of post partial Fistulectomy with Ksharasootra application wound- An open labelled, randomized, comparative clinical trial. - |
|       3 | North Eastern Institute of Ayurveda & Folk Medicine Research (NEIAFMR) | NEIAFMR Pasighat is doing following two projects on traditional healing - i. Documentation & Validation of healing practices and Folk Medicinal claims among Ao tribes of Mokokchung District, Nagaland. ii. Documentation and Validation of Traditional Bone setters of Khasi, Garo and Jaintia tribes of Meghalaya.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    |