Lok Sabha Question No. 5643 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-27
Subject: Raid on Unlicensed Ayurvedic Clinic
Ministry: AYUSH
Asked by: Shri Tanuj Punia

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5643 TO BE ANSWERED ON 27 th  MARCH 2026

## Raid on Unlicensed Ayurvedic Clinic

5643. Shri Tanuj Punia:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

(a) whether the Government has received a report of the raid on an unlicensed Ayurvedic clinic and manufacturing unit in Dehradun in February 2026 and if so, the details thereof along with the action taken against the persons involved;

(b) the number of unlicensed Ayurvedic clinics or manufacturing units identified, since 2023 and the number of prosecutions or licence cancellations initiated, State/UT-wise and year-wise;

(c) whether any review of inspection and pharmacovigilance mechanisms has been undertaken following such incidents and if so, the details thereof; and

(d) the measures proposed to strengthen regulatory oversight in this regard?

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

(a)  Yes,  as  per  the  information  received  from  the  State  Government  of  Uttarakhand,  the Government is aware of the raid conducted in the matter. During the raid, the unlicensed medicines were seized and taken into custody by the Drug Inspectors and further action has been taken as per the provisions of Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules made thereunder.

(b)  As  per  the  information  received  from  State/UT  Governments,  the  number  of  unlicensed Ayurvedic clinics or manufacturing units identified, since 2023 and the number of prosecutions or licence cancellations initiated are attached at Annexure I.

(c) & (d) The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs Rules, 1945 have exclusive regulatory provisions  for  Ayurveda,  Siddha,  Sowa-Rigpa,  Unani,  and  Homoeopathy  drugs.  Provisions relating to Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Unani Drugs are contained in Chapter IVA and Schedule- I of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and in Rules 151 to 169, Schedules E (I), T & TA of the Drugs Rules, 1945. Further, second schedule (4A) of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 provides standards for Homoeopathic drugs and  Rules 2dd, 30AA, 67 (C-H), 85 (A to I), 106-A, Schedule  K,  Schedule  M-I  of  the  Drugs  Rules,  1945  pertain  to  Homoeopathic  drugs.  It  is

mandatory  for  the  manufacturers  to  adhere  to  the  prescribed  requirements  for  licensing  of manufacturing units & medicines including proof of safety & effectiveness, compliance with the Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) as per Schedule T & Schedule M-I of Drugs Rules, 1945 and quality standards of drugs given in the respective pharmacopoeia.

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 and raw materials used in their manufacture on behalf of licensee for manufacture for sale of Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Unani drugs. As on date, 108 private laboratories are approved or licensed under the provisions of Drugs Rules, 1945. Further, there are 34 Drug Testing Laboratories of State/UTs for testing quality of Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Unani drugs and raw materials including legal samples.

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/UT Drug Controllers/ Licensing Authorities appointed by the concerned State/ UT Government.

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  drugs  from  the  market  and appropriate legal actions as per Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Rules made thereunder.

Ministry of Ayush has established an Ayush vertical in the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO), which includes the posts of 1 Deputy Drugs Controller, 4 Assistant Drugs Controllers,  and  4  Drug  Inspectors.  Drug  Inspectors  posted  in  Ayush  vertical,  inspect  various manufacturing units including risk-based inspections in coordination with the licensing authorities/drug inspectors of the respective States/UTs for ensuring safety and quality of Ayush medicines.

Ministry of Ayush has implemented a Central Sector Scheme-Ayush Oushadhi Gunvatta evam Uttpadan Samvardhan Yojana (AOGUSY), having one of the component as Pharmacovigilance for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, and Homoeopathy (ASU & H) Drugs with the objectives to keep vigilance over Ayush  drugs,  to reduce the instances of misleading advertisements and report adverse drug reactions. This Pharmacovigilance program  has established a three-tire network of pharmacovigilance centers distributed throughout the country with one National Pharmacovigilance Coordination Center (NPvCC), 5-Intermediary Pharmacovigilance Centers (IPvC) & 97 Peripheral Pharmacovigilance Centers (PPvC).

Ministry of Ayush has launched an IT enabled online portal 'Ayush Suraksha' to track the reported Misleading Advertisements (MLAs)/Objectionable Advertisements (OAs) and

Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) on 30th May 2025. The portal features a centralized dashboard for capturing of MLAs/OAs and tracking of suspected ADRs for prompt regulatory action and comprehensive data analysis.

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## Annexure

As  per  the  information  received  from  State/UT  Governments,  the  details  of  the  number  of unlicensed Ayurvedic clinics or manufacturing units identified, since 2023 and the number of prosecutions or licence cancellations initiated, State/UT-wise and year-wise are as follows:

|   S. No. | States/UTs Governments   | Details of the number of unlicensed Ayurvedic clinics or manufacturing units identified, since 2023.   | The number of prosecutions or licence cancelled.   |
|----------|--------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|----------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Uttarakhand              | 03                                                                                                     | 02                                                 |
|        2 | Gujarat                  | 03                                                                                                     | 03                                                 |
|        3 | Kerala                   | 09                                                                                                     | 09                                                 |
|        4 | Tripura                  | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|        5 | Madhya Pradesh           | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|        6 | Maharashtra              | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|        7 | Mizoram                  | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|        8 | Assam                    | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|        9 | Himachal Pradesh         | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|       10 | Delhi                    | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|       11 | Tamilnadu                | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |
|       12 | Puducherry               | Nil                                                                                                    | Nil                                                |

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