Shripad Yesso Naik
MoS (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR AYUSH
SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK IS known in the AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) ministry for transparency and accessibility. Beyond that, his record is just about average. Lacking vision, his ministry hasn’t got much to show that can match the Modi government’s overall performance, except the UN proclaiming June 21 as the International Day of Yoga. The ministry’s coordination with the NITI Aayog on the new AYUSH policy leaves much to be desired. Acharya Balkrishna, MD of Patanjali Ayurved, says: “Little is moving in the ministry. Not much progress has been made on the suggestions I gave on improvements in the AYUSH sector, including reforms in ayurveda education.” Ayurveda expert Narendra Bhatt adds: “The ministry has to move beyond symbolism.” But D.C. Katoch, advisor in the AYUSH ministry, disagrees. “A lot has been done,” he says. “We have firmly taken the National AYUSH Mission ahead by evolving systems. The All-India Institute of Ayurveda is operational now.” But clearly, Naik has to do more.