Freeze on Ayush won’t help much

A two-year freeze (for academic years 2019-20 and 2020-21) on new medical colleges of the alternative medical system AYUSH will not help this traditional system which had slowly started gaining acceptance.

The freeze on new AYUSH colleges comes at a time when education standards have undergone a series of changes most of which are yet to be put into practice in colleges in the country.

There are 250 AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) colleges in the country and the plan was to start new colleges in every district.

But this will not happen due to the freeze.

Dr Mallu Prasad, member from Telangana of the Central Council of Indian Medicine says the order has come as a “blow to the system as by closing the doors to new colleges there will not be the desired improvements.

Those colleges that are substandard and are not following the norms must be isolated and improved. By implementing the changes, recruiting faculty and improving standards.”

Education committee chairman of CCIM and former member, Dr S Sarang Pani, explained that there are three layers of teaching faculty.

“The government has done away with professors. In the 14 subjects that are taught in the colleges, the professor is required only for one subject. This has proved detrimental to students to pursue post graduation. This has been a jolt for the system and such orders do not work towards strengthening it,” he observed.

While CCIM members agree that there are some substandard colleges that must be improved, putting a freeze on new colleges will not help to further that cause.

A senior official of AYUSH, on condition of anonymity, said, “The biggest drawback for the alternative system is that the support from the state government is not as required. In Telangana there is 50 per cent less faculty in all AYUSH colleges. The posts have not been filled for the last 10 years. The state also has to support the system but that is not happening.”

The budget for AYUSH was increased by the government and there has been an increase in practitioners too.

Union minister of state for AYUSH, Shripad Naik, said in the Lok Sabha that in the past two years there has been an increase of five per cent.

These numbers show that there is an interest and it must be further encouraged and scientifically carried out.

With 6,600 medicinal plants, India is the largest exporter of herbal products.

Various surveys have shown that the AYUSH industry is estimated to touch 1.4 trillion by 2020.

Trained manpower and scientific data is important for the system.

The recent streamlining is helping in communicating the system to the world and that must be encouraged.

In TS there is 50% less faculty in AYUSH colleges and the posts are vacant for years.