Ayurveda in India

Ever since independence in 1947, there has been a sustained policy support for the development of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy. The Government has taken a number of legislative and administrative measures to regulate the manufacture and sale of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani (ASU) drugs.

The Drug & Cosmetics Act, 1940, is enforced through the State Drug Licensing and Drug Control Authorities. A separate Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Technical Advisory Board (ASUDTAB) has been constituted by the Central Government to advise the Central and State Governments on technical matters relating to regulation of ASU drugs.

The Central Government has also constituted a Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani Drugs Consultative Committee (ASUDCC) under the Act to advise the Central and State Governments and the ASUDTAB on any matter for the purpose of securing uniformity though out India in the administration of Drugs & Cosmetics Act, 1940. A specific law, the Drugs & Magic Remedies Act, 1954, is also in place for prevention of objectionable advertisements & publicity relating to certain drugs and magic remedies for treatment of certain identified diseases and disorders.

Laying down of pharmacopoeial standards of drugs are mandatory as per Drugs & Cosmetics Act, which was amended in 1964 to bring under its purview Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs. For implementation of the Act and Rules there under, and as a first step the Pharmacopoeial Laboratory of Indian Medicine (PLIM) was set up in 1970 and the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeial Laboratory (HPL) was set up in 1975 to facilitate drug standardization & testing of ASU drugs. In addition, 13 other reputed laboratories have been engaged to lay down pharmacopoeial standards and preparation of monographs and for evolving Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for ASU drugs. Pharmacopoeial Committees have been constituted separately for ASU systems to lay down standards of quality, purity and strength of drugs and approve drug formularies.  

Measures for Quality Control & Standardization

Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani drugs which are mainly poly-herbal or herbo-mineral preparations are very different from synthetic molecules of the allopathic system which are produced under controlled laboratory conditions. Much depends on the quality and availability of raw materials of botanical origin. Keeping this in view, the National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) was established in 2000 with the objective of in-situ conservation and ex-situ cultivation of quality medicinal plant raw materials.