Lok Sabha Question No. 200 (STARRED), answered on 2016-05-06
Subject: AYUSH Products/Medicines
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: C. MAHENDRAN, NAGARAJAN P.

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 200 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 06 TH MAY, 2016

## AYUSH PRODUCTS/MEDIC INES

## *200. SHRI C. MAHENDRAN:

## SHRI P. NAGARAJAN:

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

- (a)  whether  the  Government  has  taken  various  steps  to  promote  and  popula AYUSH system of medicines internationally, if so, the details ther eof;
- (b) the details of countries that have shown interest in AYUSH systems of me and  the  success  achieved  in  promoting  and  popularising  AYUSH  systems  o medicine internationally;
- (c) whether any quality regulations/ standards have been laid down f or use of heavy metals in Ayurveda and other AYUSH products/medicines as those are detriment to human health; and
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY(AYUSH) (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 .200 FOR 06 TH MAY, 2016

(a)  &(b):    In  line  with  its  mandate  for  global  promotion  and  propagation AYUSH  systems  of  medicine,  the  Ministry  of  AYUSH  has  been  organizing/ participating  in  International  exhibitions/  conferences/  workshops/  seminar shows/ trade fairs, etc. to have wider reach for international propagation of AYUSH. Incentives are also being provided (a) to AYUSH drug manufacturers, entrepren AYUSH institutions, etc. for participating in International exhibitions/ con workshops/ seminars/ road sh ows/ trade fairs, etc. for generating awareness among the  participating  public  about  the  Indian  Medicine  and;  (b)  to  AYUSH  d manufacturers  for  registration  of  AYUSH  products  with  regulatory  agencies different  countries  to  enhance  export  of  the  prod ucts.  To  meet  the  worldwide increasing demand of Yoga experts, the Ministry of AYUSH has launched a schem for Voluntary Certification of Yoga Professionals on 22nd June, collaboration with Quality Council of India (QCI).  The Scheme aims at promo ing authentic Yoga as a preventive and health promotive drugless therapy and inv certifying the competence level of the professionals to help their deploymen and outside the country.

2015

As  a  result  of  concerted  efforts  Ministry  of  AYUSH  has  ach ieved  great success by marking presence of AYUSH systems of medicine across the globe, as evident from the following:

(i)   Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) for Country to Country cooperation field of Traditional Medicine have been signed with Nep al, Bangladesh, Hungary, Trinidad & Tobago, Malaysia, China, Mauritius, Mongolia and Turkmenistan.

(ii)    MoUs  for  undertaking  collaborative  research  have  been  signed  with London  Hospital  for  Integrated  Medicine,  UK  and  National  Centre  for  Natu Product  Research  (NCNPR)  University  of  Mississippi,  USA  and  College  of Homeopaths  of  Ontario,  Canada;  and  Letters  of  Intent  (LoIs)  with  Mexico University of Strasbourg, France.

(iii)  The Ministry has also set up Academic Chairs in Hungary, Trinidad & T obago (Ayurveda Chair) and South Africa (Unani Chair).  Besides, MoUs have also b signed with Universities in Russia, Indonesia, Slovenia, Thailand and Armen setting up of AYUSH Academic Chairs.

(iv)  AYUSH  Information  Cells  for  dissemination  of  a uthentic  information  about AYUSH Systems of Medicine have been set up at Malaysia, Trinidad & Tobago, Mexico, Cuba, Hungary, Russia, Indonesia (2 Cells), Mauritius, Slovenia, Swe China, Dubai, Croatia, Kyrgyzstan, Argentina and Israel.

(v)  Recently,  t he  Union  Cabinet  has  approved  the  signing  of  Agreement  with  th World  Health  Organisation  (WHO)  for  long  term  collaboration  under  which,  t WHO would help in improving international acceptability and promotion of AYUS systems.

(vi)  An Indo - US workshop on Traditional Systems with special focus on cancer wa organized in New Delhi on 3 - 4 March, 2016. A US team comprising of experts from National Cancer Institute (NCI) took part in the two - day exhaustive deliberations.

(c)  &  (d)  :  Drugs  &  Cosmetics  Act,  1 940  and  Rules  thereunder  have  regulatory provisions  for  Ayurvedic,  Siddha  and  Unani  (ASU)  medicines,  under  which  it mandatory for the manufacturers to comply with the quality standards of ingre of minerals and metallic origin as prescribed in the pharmacopoeia  and with Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) for manufacturing of herbo - mineral - metallic compounds of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani medicines as contained in part 'D'  of Schedule 'T' of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945.

Also,  permissible  lim its  of  heavy  metals  in  ASU  medicines  manufactured from plant materials are prescribed in the pharmacopoeia.

It is also pertinent to state that heavy metals are used in the manufac ASU  medicines  after  subjecting  them  to  certain  sophisticated  phar maceutical processes  called  the Shodhana,  Marana,  Bhavana,  Amritikarana and  trituration with juices or decoctions of medicinal plants  to render them therapeutically effective  with  judicious  consumption  under  medical  supervision.    Label provi sions  for  such  ASU  medicines  in  the  Drugs  &  Cosmetics  Rules,  1945  see mention of the 'Caution: to be taken under medical supervision' on the container of medicine.