A
Supreme Court PIL seeks to include Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy in Ayushman
Bharat, arguing that despite prior assurances, these systems remain excluded
from the scheme.
India:
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been
filed in the Supreme Court under Article 32, requesting the inclusion of
traditional Indian healthcare systems—Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy—in the
Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), also known as Ayushman Bharat. The
petitioner, Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, argues that despite assurances
from the Centre and directives from the Delhi High Court to expedite their
inclusion, these traditional healthcare systems remain excluded from PM-JAY.
The petition highlights that while
Ayushman Bharat primarily funds allopathic treatments for economically
disadvantaged communities, it does not extend benefits to indigenous healthcare
practices, as recommended in the National Health Policy of 2017. The PIL
emphasizes that Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy, with their deep roots in
Indian heritage, have shown efficacy in meeting healthcare needs and deserve a
place within the national scheme.
The PIL further stresses that India's
rich healthcare legacy, preserved in ancient texts like the Vedas and
Upanishads, has suffered from historical marginalization due to colonial
policies. It notes that on March 1, 2024, the Centre assured the inclusion of
traditional systems within Ayushman Bharat, an assurance that remains
unfulfilled.
The PIL reads, "India is a country rich in
various great traditions of sages and has clear evidence of this in various
available scriptures, Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, etc. Unfortunately, due to
various policies created by foreign rulers and individuals with a colonial
mindset, our cultural, intellectual knowledge, and scientific heritage have
been systematically eroded. The foreigners, motivated by a profit-oriented
approach, have thoughtfully implemented many laws and schemes during the time
of our country's independence that have slowly undermined our rich heritage and
history."
Following an earlier writ petition in
the Delhi High Court in 2023, the High Court instructed the Centre to act
promptly. However, with Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy still excluded, the
petitioner filed the current PIL in the Supreme Court on November 4, 2024,
seeking decisive action.
According to TechSci Research, the inclusion of Ayurveda, Yoga, and
Naturopathy in the Ayushman Bharat scheme could significantly impact India's
healthcare industry by broadening healthcare access and fostering a more
integrative approach to treatment. If the Supreme Court endorses the petition,
Ayushman Bharat's scope will extend beyond allopathic care, opening pathways
for traditional practices to gain wider acceptance and government support. This
shift would encourage healthcare providers to expand their offerings, creating
new opportunities for Ayurvedic, Yoga, and Naturopathy practitioners while
bridging the gap between conventional and alternative medicine. Expanding
Ayushman Bharat to cover these traditional practices could also drive a surge
in demand for Ayurvedic and Naturopathy products, which would benefit
pharmaceutical companies and manufacturers specializing in these areas.
Integrating these practices would cater to the increasing preference among many
patients for natural and preventive healthcare solutions, potentially reducing
reliance on allopathic treatments.