National AYUSH Mission: Important Topic for UPSC GS Paper III Notes

National AYUSH Mission is an initiative of the government of India to promote and establish better health care centres in India. They aim to adopt old and traditional medicines to provide better quality and affordable medicines.

This is a wonderful scheme of the government. But it is an important topic for UPSC current affairs and GS paper 3. Therefore lets us discuss National AYUSH Mission in detail and help you to make National AYUSH mission notes.

National AYUSH Mission – A Trending UPSC Topic

The National AYUSH Mission was launched by the Department of AYUSH, Ministry of health and family welfare in 2014. This aim is to promote cost-effective medicines, boost the educational system, quality control of drugs, and ensure sustainable availability of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy (AS&H) raw materials.

Meaning of AYUSH

AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani and Homoeopathy systems of medicine.

It promotes traditional health care and healing methods that include Sowa-Rigpa, Homoeopathy, Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Unani and Siddha, among many more.

They are beneficial in improving accessibility, cost-friendly and better quality medicines that are accepted by a large section of society.

Centrally Sponsored Scheme: NAM

The National AYUSH mission scheme is a centrally sponsored Scheme. A Centrally Sponsored Schemes is a scheme in which the centre and the state give financial assistance. It was launched by the approval of the Ministry of AYUSH on 29.09.2014. It was approved for continuation from 01.04.2017-31.03.2020. And now for 2021 to 30.03.2026.

Vision

# NAM wants to ensure cheap and effective medicine and better access to health care throughout India.

# To improve and strengthen AYUSH systems to make it a prominent medical stream and address society’s health care.

# To improve education institutions to ensure quality education.

# To promote adoption of improving the quality of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & homoeopathy drugs.

Objectives

# To provide the best and most effective AYUSH services through upgrading and improving them. By services, I mean educational institutions; State Govt sponsored Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy Pharmacies, Drug Laboratories and ASU&V enforcement.

# Adopt measures and practices to support and encourage the cultivation of medicinal plants to ensure an adept and sustainable supply of raw materials. Also, support certification mechanisms to ensure and certify quality products.

# Supporting setting of different clusters by the convergence of cultivation, marketing, warehouse and development of better infrastructure for entrepreneurs.

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Components

Mandatory Components

# AYUSH Services

# Educational Institutions

# Quality control of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy Drugs

# Medicinal Plants

Flexible Components

# Wellness Centers

# Tele-medicine

# Sports Medicine through AYUSH

# Innovations in AYUSH

# Interest subsidy components for private AYUSH education institutions

# Reimbursement of Testing Chare

# IEC activity

# R & D in areas associated with Medicinal plants

# Voluntary certification scheme

# Market Promotion, Intelligence and interventions

# Crop insurance for medicinal plants

Institutional Mechanism

National Level

Mission Directorate

This mission is governed at the National level by the NAM Directorate.  It consists of the following members:

# Secretary

# AS & FA and appointed nominee

# AS & MD, NHRM

# CEO, NMPB, Department of health

# Mission Director, horticulture

# JS dealing with ASU &H drugs

# Drug Controller general of Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy drugs/ Sr. Technical officer dealing DCC

# Advisers of Ayurveda, homoeopathy, Unani Siddha

# Joint Secretary in-charge of CSS

Any expert nominated by Chairperson

Appraisal Committee

# Joint Secretary i/c of NAM

# J.S. dealing with ASU &H drugs/Institutions

# CEO/Dy. CEO, NMPB

# Mission Director, Horticulture

# Representative from NRHM, Department of Health

# Representative of IFD

# Additional Drug Controller General (Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy Drugs)

# Advisers/Joint Advisers/Dy. Advisers (Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Medicinal Plants)

# Director/Dy. Secretary i/c of NAM

State-level

State Mission Society

This mission is governed by the State AYUSH Mission Society

# Chief Secretary

# Principal Secretary/Secretary I/c of AYUSH

# Principal Secretaries/Secretaries of Medical Education, Finance and Planning

# Principal Secretary Forests & Horticulture dealing with Medicinal Plants

# Mission Director, NRHM

# Commissioner (AYUSH)/ Director General (AYUSH)

# Nodal Officer, State Medicinal Plants Board

# State ASU &H Drug Licensing Authority

Ordinary Business

# Principal Secretary/ Secretary of Health & F.W./ AYUSH Medical Education

# Commissioner or Director General (AYUSH)/ Director (Ayurveda, Unani, Homoeopathy, Siddha)

# Mission Director, NRHM

# Representative of State Finance/Planning Department

# Representatives of Forest & Horticulture Department

# Nodal Officer, State Medicinal Plants Board

# ASU &H State Licensing Authority

# Senior Technical officers (Ayurveda, Homoeopathy, Unani, Siddha, Yoga, Naturopathy, and Medicinal Plants)

# State AYUSH Programmer Manager

Funding Pattern (Centre: State)

# 90:10 in Northern Eastern States, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu & Kashmir.

# 60:40 for other states and UT with legislature exceptions is J&K)

# 100:0 for other UTs without a legislature.

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Benefits

# Better and improved education through upgraded educational institutions.

# Improved access to various services through increasing the number of hospitals and dispensaries, ensuring availability of drugs and manpower.

# Enough and adept amount of raw materials for AYUSH system of medicine

# Improved quality of ASUS & h drugs by increasing the number of Pharmacies and drug testing laboratories.

Achievements

# In total 104 (50 bedded) hospitals have been supported.

# In total 296 AYUSH hospitals, 4717 dispensaries have been upgraded.

# Total 2878 PHCS, 840 CHCS AND 350 DHS have been supported

# 1965 Yoga centres and 512 gram units have been supported

# Aid is given to 11 AYUS Educational institutions

# 72 UGs and 33 PGs institutes have been supported.

# 36 Ayurveda, Siddha and Unani & Homoeopathy Pharmacies and 29 Drug Laborites are strengthened.

# 4448 units of health and wellness centres have been approved.

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Latest News: UPSC Perspective

The Union Cabinet on 14 July announced the continuation of the National AYUSH Mission until 2026. The scheme will continue till March 2026 and 4,607.30 crore (3,000 + 1607.30 cr) will be spent.

According to Anurag Thakur, Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting this scheme will:

# Expand sector further to promote the health of Indian

# Promotional of old and traditional medicinal systems like Ayurveda

# Upgrade wellness centres, medical colleges, hospitals and dispensaries.

# Change in the name of Northern Eastern Institute of Folk Medicine to Northern Eastern Institute of Ayurveda and Folk medicine research. This will improve the quality of education and research in Ayurveda and other folk medicines.

# This will provide opportunities to students of Ayurveda and folk medicine in India and other neighbouring countries.

UPSC Question Associated

What are the challenges faced by the AYUSH System with respect to its integration into the mainstream medical system? Examine the potential and suggest measures to capitalise on it.

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Conclusion

It is an important topic of UPSC for both current affairs and paper 3. Moreover, this is a great scheme initiated by the government for the welfare of people and the improvement of health infrastructure.

For more such UPSC notes and assistance with your UPSC preparation, you can visit UPSC Pathshala. This website is the answer to all your doubts and queries.

Summary

Article Name

National AYUSH Mission: Important Topic for UPSC GS Paper III Notes

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UPSC CSE inculcates a wide syllabus. Aspirants often worry not to miss out on anyone. Click here to check all the details about the national AYUSH mission and its relevance in UPSC.

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Shilpa Dutta

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UPSC Pathshala

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