Two Bills to set up national commissions for the Indian system of medicine and homoeopathy were passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday, with the government assuring the House that similar legislation for yoga and naturopathy would be brought as well.
The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 and the National Commission for Homoeopathy Bill, 2019 had been introduced in the Rajya Sabha in January 2019, after which they were sent to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare.
Speaking during the discussion on the Bills which were taken up together, Samajwadi Party MP and chairperson of the committee Ram Gopal Yadav said 15 of the 37 recommendations of the panel on the Indian system of medicine Bill and 13 of the 24 recommendations on the homoeopathy Bill were accepted. He urged the government to include yoga in the ISM Bill, which covers Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa. The two Bills also repeal legislation on the related medical councils.
In his reply to the discussion, Minister of State for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) Shripad Yesso Naik said the traditional forms of medicine would be strengthened by the Bills. Responding to the suggestions from several MPs, Mr. Naik said the government would bring legislation for yoga and naturopathy too.
Earlier in the discussion, MPs raised concern over the lack of research in these forms of medicine. Biju Janata Dal MP Amar Patnaik said though the Bills talk about scientific research, they don’t elaborate on it. “The lack of research in these branches of medicines has resulted in people not having confidence,” he said.
DMK MP P. Wilson said his party opposed the Bills and demanded that they be sent to a select committee. He said the commissions to be formed under the Bills would replace elected professionals in the existing councils with bureaucrats.
Congress MP Jairam Ramesh said the government should work towards integrating all forms of medicine with modern medicine.
