The conventional or alternative systems of medicines in the state will go modern within a few months. With the mounting number of quacks in the field, Karnataka Ayurveda and Unani Practitioners’ Board (KAUPB) has decided to implement biometric registration system for all the registered practitioners of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, oga and Naturopathy. The board has also decided to put the list of registered practitioners on the official website of KAUPB. The decision will be implementing in six months.

Speaking to Deccan Herald, KAUPB President Dr Sathyamoorthy Bhat said that the Board will seek the help of KEONICS to provide software for the registration process.

He said that the biometric registration will help to check the quackery in state. “About one lakh persons are practicing in state without registration. Unfortunately, with current rules and regulations, we could not control the quackery menace,”he said adding that a powerful mafia is behind the quacks. “They are very strong. They have back up from politicians, police, lawyers and even judges. When I contacted one of them, I was even threatened,” he said.

Registration to renew

He said that the Board is planning to make a proposal to government to make it mandatory for practitioners to renew their registration after every five years. Now the registration is for life time.

“The Government had last registered the traditional practitioners in 1984. But we received information on how the registrations are being misused by people on the death of the registered practitioners,” he said and added that the system of renewing the registration every five years will help to prevent such misuse.

Display the details

He informed that KAUPB will seek the help of local self government authorities to find out fake practitioners. The name and photo of such people will be display in gram panchayath, municipal corporation offices as well as in the official website of the Board.

Online certificate

Dr Sathyamoorthy Bhat said that from next year onwards, the Board will also introduce provisional certificate registration for students online. Currently, students have to wait for 15-30 days for provisional certificates. Once the online registration process is implemented, within half an hour they will get the certificates. We have also planned to introduce certificates with chip attached, which will provide all the details of the student.