Govt issues fresh norms for Ayush colleges

Centre to do away with annual inspection system

The new system has been  introduced because many colleges were not complying with the guidelines specified for imparting Ayush education with some of them trying to indulge in unfair practices to project availability of infrastructure and teachers.

There are 499 colleges teaching the Indian system of medicine – 311 colleges for Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha and 188 colleges teaching homoeopathy. The registration guidelines come into effect from 2011 academic year.

“By 2011 end, the Centre would bring out a gazette notification stipulating the levels of hard and soft infrastructure the colleges should have to receive the recognition,” said Anil Kumar, secretary, the department of AYUSH under the Union health ministry.

At the moment, colleges teaching Indian system of medicine and homeopathy require annual approval to admit new students. With the new notification, the Centre plans to do away with the annual inspection system. The notification would make it mandatory for all colleges to have the stipulated facilities and faculty. The annual approval process would be replaced by surprise checks and periodic scrutiny. The new norms, officials said, were stop-gap measures for the current academic year though they are most likely to be retained or strengthened in the proposed notification.  

The hospitals should be a properly functional and not a proxy set up created solely for the purpose of inspection.

No assurance from EU on medicine ban

India has not received any assurance from the European Union to reconsider its ban on Indian herbal medicines sold across the continent even though the contentious issue was raised to the EU through the official channel.

The ban came into effect from May 1, 2011. According to the EU Traditional Medicinal Products Directive, a herbal medicine company needs to demonstrate the safety and efficacy of medicine through traditional use for at least 30 years, out of which 15 years should be within the EU. With a large number of Indian companies failing to make the cut, the doors to the European market is shut for Indian medicine, at least for the time being. However, there is no restrictions on Ayurvedic supplements.