Lok Sabha Question No. 1197 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-02-06
Subject: Integration of Traditional and Modern  Medicine
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri V K Sreekandan

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1197 TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.02.2026

## Integration of Traditional and Modern Medicine

1197. Shri V K Sreekandan:

Will the Minister of Ayush be pleased to state:

(a)  whether  it  is  a  fact  that  traditional  medicine  is  likely  to  be  integrated  with  modern medicine into phases;

(b) if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether it is also a fact that the Government is taking rational approach for each system of medicine contributing according to its strengths;

(d) whether it is also a fact that the Government has any plan for complete merger of modern and traditional medicines; and

(e) if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

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

(a) to (c) Government of India has adopted a strategy of Co-location of Ayush facilities at Primary Health Centres (PHCs), Community Health Centres (CHCs) and District Hospitals (DHs), thus  enabling  the  choice  to  the  patients  for  different  systems  of  medicines  under  a single  window.  The  engagement  of  Ayush  doctors/  paramedics  and  their  training  is  being supported  by  the  Ministry  of  Health  &  Family  Welfare  under  National  Health  Mission (NHM), while the support for Ayush infrastructure,  equipment/ furniture  and  medicines  is being provided by the Ministry of Ayush under National Ayush Mission (NAM), as shared responsibilities.  Further,  Ministry  of  Ayush  is  adopting  a  rational  approach  along  with multiple initiatives, for the promotion and institutional expansion of each Ayush system of medicine  according  to  its  respective  strengths,  with  a  view  to  facilitating  their  integration with modern medicine. Some of the major initiatives are as follows:

i. The Ayush Vertical under Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), established by

the Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare (MoH&FW), serves as a dedicated institutional mechanism for planning, monitoring, and supervising Ayush-specific public  health  programs.  This  vertical  provides  technical  support  to  both  Ministries  in developing strategies for public health, healthcare, Ayush education, and training.

ii  Ministry of Ayush and MoH&FW have jointly established Integrated Ayush Departments in Central Government Hospitals to promote integrative healthcare. As part of this initiative, the  Department  of  Integrative  Medicine  has  been  set  up  and  is  operational  at  Vardhman Mahavir Medical College & Safdarjung Hospital and Lady Hardinge Medical College, New Delhi.

iii. National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) has developed the Ayush Module  -  Internship  Electives  for  MBBS  for  Ayurveda,  Unani  and  Siddha  system  of medicine. As per regulation 10 (7) of National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (Minimum Standards of Undergraduate Ayurveda Education) Regulations-2022, the proportion of modern advances in Syllabus for Ayurveda teaching content shall be up to 40 per  cent.  Homoeopathy  Education  Board  under  National  Commission  for  Homeopathy (NCH) has taken various new initiatives like early clinical exposure, introduction of electives, faculty  development  program,  foundation  program,  finishing  program  at  end  of  internship, inclusion of new subjects like pharmacology and psychology to sensitize the students about different systems of medicine.

iv.  Details  of  initiatives  taken  by  the  Research  Councils  and  National  Institutes  under  the Ministry of Ayush for integration of Ayush with contemporary medical system are given as Annexure .

(d) No.

(e) Question does not arise.

*****

## Annexure

## Details  of  initiatives  taken  by  the  Ministry  of  Ayush  through  its  Research  councils  and  National Institutes

|   Sl. No | Research councils / National Institutes                    | Details of initiatives Institute                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         |
|----------|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS) | CCRAS has undertaken research studies such as Operational study to explore the feasibility of integrating Ayurveda with modern system of medicine in a tertiary care hospital (Safdarjung Hospital New Delhi) for the management of Osteoarthritis (Knee), Feasibility of introducing the Indian System of Medicine. (Ayurveda) in the National Reproductive and Child Health services at the Primary Health Care (PHC) level in Himachal Pradesh and Integration of Ayush systems in the National Programme for Prevention and Control of Cancer, Diabetes, Cardiovascular Diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS) and Feasibility of introducing Ayurveda Intervention in Reproductive and Child Health (RCH) in PHCs of the Selected district (Gadchiroli) of Maharashtra (Effectiveness of Ayurvedic intervention for Ante-Natal care (Garbhini Paricharya) at Primary Health Care level A Multi Centre Operational Study). Further, Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and CCRAS has taken and initiative to set up Ayush-ICMR Advanced Centre for Integrative Health Research (AI-ACIHR), at AIIMS to conduct research on identified areas focusing on integrative healthcare under Extra Mural research Scheme of ICMR. |
|        2 | Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine (CCRUM)     | CCRUM has established four re-location centers at Dr. RML Hospital, Dr. DDU Hospital, Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi and J.J. Hospital at Mumbai. Collaborative projects with modern academic/ research Institutions have also been under taken by the Council to integrate and promote Unani Medicine.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  |
|        3 | Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH)         | CCRH is working towards integration of Homoeopathy with mainstream healthcare by undertaking research in collaboration and cooperation in the field of integrative medicine. The Council has co- location of homoeopathy treatment centre in allopathic hospital for providing treatment on various clinical conditions at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, Lady Hardinge Medical College & Hospital, New Delhi, Delhi Cantonment General Hospital, New Delhi, Clinical trial Unit, at BRD Medical College and Hospital, Gorakhpur, U.P, Civil Hospital, Aizwal, Mizoram and District hospital, Dimapur, Nagaland. The Council has also taken initiative to link Homoeopathy along with mainstream healthcare set-up by undertaking various                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |

|    |                                                            | Public Health programmes such as the Integration of NPCDCS Programme for Homoeopathy, Swasthya Rakshan program (SRP), the Programme ' Homoeopathy for Healthy teething', a component of ' Homoeopathy for healthy child and Schedule Caste (SC) Component plan ' .                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |
|----|------------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|  4 | Central Council for Research in Siddha (CCRS)              | CCRS has taken initiatives for integrating Siddha practices with the modern healthcare system by encouraging scientific research and clinical trials to validate the efficacy and safety of Ayush treatments along with modern treatments. Integrated Siddha cancer OPD has been functioning at All India Institute of Ayurveda campus and Siddha cancer OPD at Safdarjung hospital aiding the Palliative care of cancer patients through Siddha system through Siddha Clinical Research Unit, Safdarjung, New Delhi under CCRS. CCRS has signed MoU with AIIMS Rishikesh for initiating collaborative research activities for Cancer Management, Reproductive & Childcare and Regenerative Medicine.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        |
|  5 | Central Council for Research in Yoga & Naturopathy (CCRYN) | CCRYN is a part of the ICMR Task Force on Multi-centric Study project on Heart Failure across the country.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   |
|  6 | All India Institute of Ayurveda (AllA)                     | AIIA, New Delhi, integrative medical services are available under Centre for Integrative Ayush Therapy (Unani, Siddha & Homeopathy), Centre for Integrative Cancer Therapy, Centre for Integrative Dentistry, Centre for Integrative Critical Care & Emergency Medicine, Centre for Integrative Orthopedics, Centre for Integrative Dietetics and Nutrition and Causality OPD Section. Integrated services are also provided through Satellite Clinical Services Units established at Integrative Medical Services Unit at Safdarjung Hospital, New Delhi, Integrative Medical Services Unit AIIMS Jhajjar and Centre for Integrative Oncology at National Cancer Institute - AIIMS, Jhajjar. Further, a Centre for Integrative Oncology (CIO) has been established at AllA, New Delhi as a joint venture of AIIA and Indian Council of Medical Research National Institute of Cancer Prevention and Research (NICPR-ICMR). Ayush Journal of Integrative Oncology (AJIO) is being published from Centre for Integrative Oncology (CIO) at AIIA. This Institute also has an International Collaborative Centre for global promotion and research in Ayurveda. |
|  7 | The Institute of Teaching & Research in Ayurveda (ITRA)    | ITRA conducts integrative research with the modern medical system.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                           |

|   8. | National Institute of Siddha (NIS)               | To promote integrated research in the Siddha system of medicine and provide Siddha treatment to the patients visiting Chettinad Hospital and Research Institute (CHRI), NIS inaugurated an upgraded Siddha specialty OPD at Kelambakkam jointly with Chettinad Academy of Research Education (CARE). NIS has been conducting a Specialty Integrative Traditional Siddha Medicine OPD (SISMO) at Centre for Integrative Medicine Research, Manipal Academy of Higher Education (MAHE), Manipal, Karnataka. Further, NIS started a Siddha Integrated Cancer Care Centre(S-IC Care Centre) to provide integrated treatment to cancer patients.   |
|------|--------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|    9 | Morarji Desai National Institute of Yoga (MDNIY) | MDNIY is running 4 Yoga Centres at Govt. Therapy Modern Medicine Hospital in Delhi and preventive Health Care units of Yoga in 20 CGHS Dispensaries in Delhi NCR. Further, MDNIY is a WHO Collaborating Centre for Medicine (Yoga) Traditional for 4 th consecutive terms from 2013.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          |