Question : Ban on Ayurvedic Products

Will the Minister of AYURVEDA, YOGA AND NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

(a) the total percentage of population that uses ayurvedic medicine in the country;

(b) the quantum of ayurvedic medicines exported;

(c) whether some countries have banned Indian ayurvedic products on the ground that they contain higher than the permissible levels of heavy metal components;

(d) if so, the details thereof and the action taken by the Government in this regard; and

(e) the special steps taken by the Government for the conservation, promotion and publicity of ancient literature in the field of ayurveda?

ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA,
YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY
(SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)
(a): As per key indicators of the NSSO 71st round on Social Consumption on Health in India conducted during January- June 2014, it was found higher inclination towards allopathy treatment around 90%, only 5 to 7 percent usage of ‘other’ including AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) has been reported both in rural and urban area. Further, taking treatment from Allopathy or Indian Systems of Medicine is the choice of the people.
(b): The quantum of Ayurvedic medicines exported is 1, 26, 74,96 kgs during the year 2016-17.
Contd……..


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(c): As per available information, in New York (USA) about 69 medicines are banned on Indian ayurvedic products on the ground that they contain higher than the permissible levels of heavy metal component.
(d): Minerals and metals form an integral part of specific category of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani formulations called ‘Rasaushadhies’. Such ingredients are used in the preparation of medicines after subjecting them to certain pharmaceutical processes including ‘shodhana (detoxification)’, ‘marana (incineration & calcination)’, and ‘amritikarana (qualitative improvement)’ to render them safe and therapeutically effective, with rational use. In this regard, Part-I, Volume-VII of the Ayurvedic Pharmacopoeia of India mentions the quality standards of 21 minerals & metals for regulating the use of these ingredients in the manufacturing of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs. Schedule–E (1) of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945 contains the list of 69 potentially hazardous substances of plant, mineral and animal origin including heavy metals. As per Rule 161 of the Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945, in case of formulations containing any of the Schedule-E (1) ingredients, it is mandatory for the manufacturer to display on the label ‘Caution: to be taken under medical supervision’ both in English and Hindi languages.
(e): Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is a pioneering Indian initiative to prevent exploitation and to protect Indian traditional knowledge from wrongful patents mainly at International Patent Offices. India’s rich and time-tested traditional medicinal knowledge which exists in languages such as Sanskrit, Hindi, Arabic, Persian, Urdu, Tamil etc. is neither accessible nor comprehensible for patent examiners at the international patent offices. TKDL contains Indian traditional medicine knowledge available in public domain and pertains to classical/ traditional books related to Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha in a digitized format and is available in five international languages (English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese).
(ii) Indian Patent Office has also brought out Guidelines for processing Patent Applications relating to Traditional Knowledge and Biological Material to help Patent examiner to analyze what constitutes novelty and inventive step in Traditional Knowledge (TK) related invention.
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