Lok Sabha Question No. 5588 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2026-03-27
Subject: Ayush Formulations in PMBJP
Ministry: CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS
Asked by: Shri Brijmohan Agrawal

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS DEPARTMENT OF PHARMACEUTICALS

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 5588 TO BE ANSWERED ON THE 27 TH  MARCH 2026

## Ayush Formulations in PMBJP

## 5588. Shri Brijmohan Agrawal:

Will the Minister of CHEMICALS AND FERTILIZERS be pleased to state:

- (a) the total number of Ayush formulations currently included in the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) product basket and the steps taken to expand the said range;
- (b) whether the Ministry has established specific quality control and standardization criteria for small-scale Ayush manufacturers to facilitate their participation in the PMBJP procurement process, if so, the details thereof;
- (c) the measures being taken to address regional disparities in the availability of generic Ayush medicines, particularly in forest-rich and tribal-dominated States like Chhattisgarh;
- (d) whether there is a proposal to synchronize the National Essential Medicines List for Ayush with the PMBJP procurement cycle to ensure a steady supply of classical formulations, if so, the details thereof;
- (e) the details of the monitoring mechanism to track the price difference and savings provided to citizens through generic Ayush products compared to branded alternatives; and
- (f) the total number of PMBJP kendras in country and also share detailed list for Chhattisgarh?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE IN  THE MINISTRY  OF  CHEMICALS  AND FERTILIZERS

## (SMT. ANUPRIYA PATEL)

(a):  Under Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) Scheme, 5 Ayurvedic products have been added in the product basket, which are being made available through selected Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) at affordable rates. The products are Chyawanprash Special 500 gm, Chyawanprash Special 1000 gm, Triphala, Shilajit and Ashwagandha.

The product basket has been reviewed from time to time by a committee to evaluate the market demand of existing and newly launched/off-patent medicines, based on feedback and analysis from JAKs, citizens and market reports.

(b): With a view to ensure quality of medicines including Ayurvedic products available at JAKs so that health of patients is not compromised, concrete mechanisms have been put in place to ensure continuous inspection, testing and standardisation, including the following:

- (i) Supply  only  from  WHO  Good  Manufacturing  Practices  (GMP)  certified  plants: Only  plants  that  are  certified  as  WHO-GMP  compliant  by  the  Central  Drugs Standard  Control  Organisation  (CDSCO)  after  direct  inspection  are  eligible  for supply.
- (ii) Distribution  only  after  100%  pre-testing  of  all  medicine  batches: Samples  are drawn  from  100%  of  batches  supplied  at PMBI's  warehouses  for  testing anonymously,  and  medicines  are  dispatched  for  supply  to  JAKs  only  after  the quality test is passed.
- (iii) Testing only at labs compliant with Good Laboratory Practices (GLP): Samples are tested only at labs accredited and periodically inspected by the National Accreditation  Board  for  Testing  and  Calibration  Laboratories (NABL)  and,  in addition, assessed by PMBI for GLP compliance.

Ministry of Ayush has informed that following steps have been taken by the Government for quality control and standardization criteria for small-scale Ayush manufacturers:-

- The Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940 and Drugs Rules, 1945 have exclusive regulatory provisions  for  Ayurveda,  Siddha,  Sowa-Rigpa,  Unani,  and  Homoeopathy  drugs. Provisions related to Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani Drugs are contained in Chapter IVA and Schedule- I of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and 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.
- Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy (PCIM&H), subordinate organization 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. As per the Drugs & Cosmetics Act,  1940  and  rules  there  under,  the  compliance  to  this  quality  standards  are mandatory for manufacturing of ASU&H drugs.
- PCIM&H also acts as the Appellate Drugs testing Laboratory for testing or analysis of  ASU&H  Drugs.  In  addition,  it  conducts  capacity-building  trainings  at  regular intervals for the standardization, quality control, and testing or analysis of ASU&H drugs for Drug Regulatory Authorities, Drug  Analysts, and other relevant stakeholders, with a focus on laboratory techniques and methodologies essential for ensuring the quality 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 Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs as may be required under the  provisions  of  these  rules,  on  behalf  of  licensee  for  manufacture  of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs. As on date, 34 State Drug Testing Laboratories have been

supported for strengthening their infrastructural and functional capacity.  Further, 108 laboratories are approved or licensed under the provisions of Drugs Rules, 1945 for quality testing of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs and raw materials.

- 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 in coordination with the licensing  authorities/drug  inspectors  of  the  respective  States/Union  Territories  for ensuring safety and quality of Ayush medicines.
- Ministry  of  Ayush  is  implementing  a  Central  Sector  Scheme  'Ayush  Oushadhi Gunavatta evam Uttpadan Samvardhan Yojana' (AOGUSY) since 2021-22 with total budget outlay of Rs. 122.00 crores for five years.  The scheme has inter alia one of the component  to  strengthen  and  up-grade  the  Ayush  Pharmacies  and  Drug  Testing Laboratories to achieve higher standards like WHO-GMP and NABL respectively.

(c):  With  a  view  to  ensure  accessibility  and  availability  of  affordable  medicines  at  Jan Aushadhi Kendras across the country including State of Chhattisgarh, the following measures are in place:

- i. An  end-to-end  information-technology-enabled  supply  chain  system  consisting currently of five warehouses and 41 distributors across the country, is in place.
- ii. Since September 2024, stocking by Jan Aushadhi Kendras (JAKs) of 200 commonly used medicines, consisting of the 100 top-selling medicines in the product basket and 100  fast-selling  medicines  in  the  market,  is  incentivised  with  JAK  owners  being eligible to receive monthly incentive based on the stocks that they maintain of these medicines.
- iii. In addition, with a view to ensure availability of commonly used products, 400 fastmoving  products  are  monitored  regularly  by  the  scheme  implementing  agency {Pharmaceuticals and Medical Devices Bureau of India (PMBI)} and demand for the same is forecasted on an ongoing basis. Further, steps have been taken to digitise the forecasting method to augment the procurement process through automation.

M/o Ayush has informed that National Ayush mission inter alia make provision for supply of essential Ayush drugs in Ayush hospitals and dispensaries in states and UTs.

(d):    As  per  information  provided  by  Ministry  of  Ayush,  to  ensure  safe,  effective,  and accessible care, a consolidated list of essential formulations was developed in line with WHO policy, leading to the publication of the Essential Drug List (EDL) of ASU&H. With evolving disease patterns and public health needs, the list was revised into the National List of Essential Ayush Medicines (NLEAM), based on criteria such as availability, usage, evidence, safety, and  cost-effectiveness,  through  extensive  stakeholder  consultation.  This  harmonized  list supports rational selection, procurement, and supply of quality medicines across all levels of healthcare, helps to prevent shortages, promotes cost-effective resource use, and serves as a reference for both public and private sectors, while also encouraging research and revalidation of classical formulations.

(e): The Government launched the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana scheme to make quality generic medicines available at affordable prices to all. Under the scheme, dedicated outlets known as Jan Aushadhi Kendras are opened across the country to provide medicines including ayurvedic product available under PMBJP product basket at rates that are about 50% to 80% cheaper than those of branded medicines.

During the past 11 years, total savings of ₹ 40,000 crores by way of reduced 'Out-of-Pocket Expenditure' on medicines on account of use of Janaushadhi Products including Ayurvedic products.

(f): Under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana scheme, a total of 18,646 Jan Aushadhi Kendras are opened across the country as on 28.02.2026, of which 352 JAKs are opened in the State  of  Chhattisgarh.  The  district-wise  list  of  JAKs  opened  is  enclosed  as Annexure .

Annexure referred to in the reply to part (f) of the LOK SABHA UNSTARRED Q. No. 5588  for  answer  on  27.03.2026,  raised  by  Shri  Brijmohan Agrawal  regarding Ayush Formulations in PMBJP

## District-wise number of JAKs opened in the State of Chhattisgarh as on 28.02.2026

| Sl. No.   | District Name                          |   Number of Kendras |
|-----------|----------------------------------------|---------------------|
| 1         | Bastar                                 |                  11 |
| 2         | Bilaspur                               |                  20 |
| 3         | Dakshin Bastar Dantewada               |                   2 |
| 4         | Dhamtari                               |                  10 |
| 5         | Durg                                   |                  61 |
| 6         | Janjgir-Champa                         |                  10 |
| 7         | Jashpur                                |                   9 |
| 8         | Uttar Bastar Kanker                    |                   4 |
| 9         | Kabirdham                              |                   7 |
| 10        | Korba                                  |                  12 |
| 11        | Koriya                                 |                   3 |
| 12        | Mahasamund                             |                  11 |
| 13        | Raigarh                                |                  12 |
| 14        | Raipur                                 |                  42 |
| 15        | Rajnandgaon                            |                  19 |
| 16        | Surguja                                |                   5 |
| 17        | Bijapur                                |                   3 |
| 18        | Narayanpur                             |                   3 |
| 19        | Sukma                                  |                   1 |
| 20        | Kondagaon                              |                   7 |
| 21        | Balodabazar-Bhatapara                  |                  22 |
| 22        | Gariyaband                             |                   7 |
| 23        | Balod                                  |                   8 |
| 24        | Mungeli                                |                   8 |
| 25        | Surajpur                               |                   7 |
| 26        | Balrampur-Ramanujganj                  |                   7 |
| 27        | Bemetara                               |                  10 |
| 28        | Gaurela-Pendra-Marwahi                 |                   5 |
| 29        | Khairagarh-Chhuikhadan-Gandai          |                   7 |
| 30        | Manendragarh-Chirmiri-Bharatpur(M C B) |                   6 |
| 31        | Mohla-Manpur-Ambagarh Chowki           |                   4 |
| 32        | Sakti                                  |                   5 |
| 33        | Sarangarh-Bilaigarh                    |                   4 |
| Total     | Total                                  |                 352 |

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