Lok Sabha Question No. 3671 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-13
Subject: Death due to Ayurvedic Medicines
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri Khalilur Rahaman

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3671 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13 th  MARCH 2026

## Death due to Ayurvedic Medicines

3671. Shri Khalilur Rahaman:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- (a)  the  total  number  of  deaths  reported  due  to  consumption  of  non-standard,  non-tested Ayurvedic medicines during the last five years, State/UT-wise;
- (b)  the  details  of  the  initiatives  taken  by  the  Government  against  agencies  supplying nonstandard AYUSH drugs;
- (c) the details of the testing standards in place to ensure a check on such drugs; and
- (d) the details of action taken by the Government to ensure that non tested/spurious/nonstandard Ayurvedic drugs are not be supplied by such agencies?

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

(a) As per the information received from States/UTs Governments, no death has been reported due to consumption of non-standard, non-tested Ayurvedic medicines during the last five years.

(b)  and  (d)  As  prescribed  in  Drugs  and  Cosmetics  Act  1940  and  Rules  made  thereunder, enforcement of the legal provisions pertaining to Quality Control and issuance of drug license of Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani and Homoeopathy drugs, is vested with the State Drug  Controllers/  State  Licensing  Authorities  appointed  by  the  concerned  State/  Union Territory Government.

Under Chapter IVA of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, section 33EEB prohibits manufacturing  for  sale  of  Ayurvedic,  Siddha  and  Unani  (ASU)  drugs,  which  are  not  in accordance with standards, prescribed in relation to that drug by Pharmacopoeia Commission for  Indian  Medicine  &  Homoeopathy  (PCIM&H). Sections 33E, 33EE, and 33EEA of the Drugs  and  Cosmetics  Act, 1940  define  misbranded,  adulterated,  and  spurious  ASU  drugs, respectively.

Further, Section 33EEC prohibits the manufacture of any misbranded, adulterated, or spurious ASU drugs. The penalties for manufacturing of misbranded or adulterated or spurious ASU drugs,  or  for  manufacturing  ASU  drugs  without  a  valid  licence,  are  provided  under Section 33-I of Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940.

Section 17, 17A and 17B of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 provides definition of  misbranded,  adulterated  and  spurious  Homoeopathic  drugs.  Section  27  of  Drugs  and Cosmetics  Act  1940  provides  penalties  for  manufacturing  of  misbranded,  adulterated  and spurious  Homoeopathic  drugs  or  drugs  manufactured,  sold,  or  distributed  without  a  valid licence.

Drug  Inspectors  collect  medicine  samples  regularly  from  manufacturing  firms  or sale  shops  within  their  jurisdiction  and  send  them  to  Drug  Testing  Laboratory  under  Drug Control  department  for  quality  testing  and  if  any  sample  is  found  to  be  'Not  of  Standard Quality', appropriate action is initiated such as preventing the sale of the products from the market and appropriate legal actions as per Drugs and Cosmetics Act 1940 and Rules made thereunder.

(c) Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), subordinate office under Ministry of Ayush lays down the formulary specifications and pharmacopoeial standards for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy (ASU&H) drugs which serves as official compendia for ascertaining the quality (identity, purity and strength) of the ASU&H drugs.  PCIM&H  also  acts  as  the  Central  Drugs  Laboratory  for  Indian  Medicine  and Homoeopathy for the purpose of testing or analysis of ASU&H Drugs.

Rule  160  A  to  J  of  the  Drugs  Rules,  1945  provides  the  regulatory  guidelines  for approval of Drug Testing Laboratory for carrying out such tests of identity, purity, quality and strength of Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Unani drugs (ASSU)  as may be required under the provisions of these rules, on behalf of licensee for manufacture of Ayurveda, Siddha, SowaRigpa  and  Unani  drugs.  As  on  date,  108  private  laboratories  are  approved/licensed  for manufacturers, and 34 State/UT Drug Testing Laboratories are engaged in testing legal samples and raw materials of ASSU drugs.

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