136
S. Nautiyal et al.
1 Background and Context
Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
1 ) is
ancient system of medicine has evolved through ages and has been recognised as
formal health system in India. In fact, Indian health care system evolved through
Ayurveda
2 system.
3 As Per the reports, Ayush has turnover of Rs. 120,000 million
comprising of micro, small and medium based enterprises (MSMEs) accounting for
more than 80% in India
4 (GoI 2011; Planning Commission 2011). AYUSH sciences
though constitutes traditional form of medicine yet it has not received much attention and recognition constrained by the factors such as deterioration of resource base,
unsustainable harvesting, imperfect informal marketing strategies, slow pace of modernisation, fragmented industry, lack of standardisation, inadequate R&D, absence
of marketing and branding, inadequate emphasis on HR, unregulated trade etc. Further, an AYUSH science is yet to be recognised as Medical and Health Care Sciences
(ibid) in India. Recent steering committee report (2011) on AYUSH
5 identified four
major thrust areas of improvement for 12th Five Year Plan but has conspicuously
missed out on the strategies of developing medicinal plant clusters in the rural areas.
India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world having two among
34 biodiversity hotspots. India accounts for 8% of the total global biodiversity with
an estimated 49,000 species of plants of which 4900 are endemic (Maiti 2004; Kumar
and Asija 2000 in Ramakrishnappa n.d). Indian Medicinal Plants
6 thrive on 15 Agroclimatic zones consisting of 17,000–18,000
7 species of flowering plants of which
6000–7000
8 are documented systems of medicine (like Ayurveda,
9 Siddha, Unani
and Homeopathy)
10 accounting 50% of all the higher flowering plant species of
1 Out of 17,000 medicinal plant species, 2000 plant species are used for Ayurveda, Siddha and
Unani systems of medicine (Planning Commission 2000). Another study point that four streams of
Ayurvedic, Unani, Sidha and Tibetan use approximately 4500 medicinal plants (Shukla and Gardner
2006).
2 By 1998, roughly it was estimated that the turnout of Ayurveda industry was Rs. 45 billion (Subrat
2002).
3 A classical stream of medicine known as ‘Ayurvedha’ system is the one of the ancient and perhaps
the oldest (6000 BC) among the organized traditional medicine which was taught in the ancient
universities such as Nalanda (ibid).
4 India caters to 12% of the world’s medicinal plant requirements.
5 India’s ancient Rig Veda which dates back to 4800 and 1600 BC is the earliest record on the use
of tree, shrub, herb and grass combinations for curing ailments (Lambert et al. 1997).
6 Please refer (http://nmpb.nic.in/) for more details on Indian Medicinal Plants.
7 50% of them i.e., 8000 are inventoried as consisting medicinal value (Subrat 2002).
8 According to ‘All India Coordinated Research Project on Ethnobiology (AICRPE) during the last
decade recorded over 8000 species of wild plants used by the tribals and other traditional communities in India for treating various health problems’. Accessed from: (http://www.indiahomeclub.
com/botanical_garden/endangered_medicinal_plants_in_india.html).
9 Classical medicine such as ‘Ayurveda’ can be found in philosophical texts such as ‘Charka Samhita,
Sushruta Samhita and Bhela Samhita (Planning Commission 2000).
10 These are expressions of codified medicine system in India (Dhar et al. 2000).
S. Nautiyal et al.
1 Background and Context
Ayush (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy
1 ) is
ancient system of medicine has evolved through ages and has been recognised as
formal health system in India. In fact, Indian health care system evolved through
Ayurveda
2 system.
3 As Per the reports, Ayush has turnover of Rs. 120,000 million
comprising of micro, small and medium based enterprises (MSMEs) accounting for
more than 80% in India
4 (GoI 2011; Planning Commission 2011). AYUSH sciences
though constitutes traditional form of medicine yet it has not received much attention and recognition constrained by the factors such as deterioration of resource base,
unsustainable harvesting, imperfect informal marketing strategies, slow pace of modernisation, fragmented industry, lack of standardisation, inadequate R&D, absence
of marketing and branding, inadequate emphasis on HR, unregulated trade etc. Further, an AYUSH science is yet to be recognised as Medical and Health Care Sciences
(ibid) in India. Recent steering committee report (2011) on AYUSH
5 identified four
major thrust areas of improvement for 12th Five Year Plan but has conspicuously
missed out on the strategies of developing medicinal plant clusters in the rural areas.
India is one of the 12 mega biodiversity countries in the world having two among
34 biodiversity hotspots. India accounts for 8% of the total global biodiversity with
an estimated 49,000 species of plants of which 4900 are endemic (Maiti 2004; Kumar
and Asija 2000 in Ramakrishnappa n.d). Indian Medicinal Plants
6 thrive on 15 Agroclimatic zones consisting of 17,000–18,000
7 species of flowering plants of which
6000–7000
8 are documented systems of medicine (like Ayurveda,
9 Siddha, Unani
and Homeopathy)
10 accounting 50% of all the higher flowering plant species of
1 Out of 17,000 medicinal plant species, 2000 plant species are used for Ayurveda, Siddha and
Unani systems of medicine (Planning Commission 2000). Another study point that four streams of
Ayurvedic, Unani, Sidha and Tibetan use approximately 4500 medicinal plants (Shukla and Gardner
2006).
2 By 1998, roughly it was estimated that the turnout of Ayurveda industry was Rs. 45 billion (Subrat
2002).
3 A classical stream of medicine known as ‘Ayurvedha’ system is the one of the ancient and perhaps
the oldest (6000 BC) among the organized traditional medicine which was taught in the ancient
universities such as Nalanda (ibid).
4 India caters to 12% of the world’s medicinal plant requirements.
5 India’s ancient Rig Veda which dates back to 4800 and 1600 BC is the earliest record on the use
of tree, shrub, herb and grass combinations for curing ailments (Lambert et al. 1997).
6 Please refer (http://nmpb.nic.in/) for more details on Indian Medicinal Plants.
7 50% of them i.e., 8000 are inventoried as consisting medicinal value (Subrat 2002).
8 According to ‘All India Coordinated Research Project on Ethnobiology (AICRPE) during the last
decade recorded over 8000 species of wild plants used by the tribals and other traditional communities in India for treating various health problems’. Accessed from: (http://www.indiahomeclub.
com/botanical_garden/endangered_medicinal_plants_in_india.html).
9 Classical medicine such as ‘Ayurveda’ can be found in philosophical texts such as ‘Charka Samhita,
Sushruta Samhita and Bhela Samhita (Planning Commission 2000).
10 These are expressions of codified medicine system in India (Dhar et al. 2000).