Miscellaneous AYUSH Schemes and Initiatives
When we talk about NAM (National AYUSH Mission), it is not a standalone program. The Ministry of AYUSH has launched a series of complementary initiatives to strengthen regulation, digital access, documentation, and credibility of AYUSH systems.
🔬 Scheme for Promoting Pharmacovigilance of AYUSH Drugs
Let’s begin with a simple analogy.
If a medicine causes side effects or is misused in advertisements, who tracks it?
In Allopathy, there’s a strict system of Pharmacovigilance. AYUSH medicines needed the same — to gain scientific respect and public trust. Hence this scheme.
✅ Key Highlights:
| Feature | Description |
| Type | Central Sector Scheme |
| Launched in | 2017 |
| Aim | Monitor adverse drug reactions (ADRs) and ensure drug safety for AYUSH systems |
| Why it matters? | AYUSH systems are natural but not free from misuse. Over-claims in advertisements or poor-quality herbs can harm users. |
| Structure | A three-tiered network of Pharmacovigilance Centres: |
Tiers
- National level → Apex monitoring
- Intermediary level → Zonal oversight
- Peripheral level → Ground-level data collection |
| Lead Institution | All India Institute of Ayurveda (AIIA), New Delhi designated as the National Pharmacovigilance Co-ordination Centre (NPvCC) |
It reflects the theme of regulatory maturity of AYUSH. Previously criticised for lack of evidence, this step adds credibility.
💻 National AYUSH Grid Project
Now imagine a digital ecosystem, like UPI for banking or Aadhaar for identity. The government envisions the same for AYUSH systems — a seamless digital infrastructure for everything AYUSH.
✅ Key Features:
| Aspect | Details |
| Aim | Digitise service delivery in AYUSH — from healthcare to education, drug regulation to medicinal plants |
| Launched | 2018 |
Inspired By
- India Enterprise Architecture (IndEA 2.0)
- Ayushman Bharat Digital Mission (ABDM)
- National Digital Health Blueprint (NDHB) |
Core Projects (So far)
- 📱 Mobile Apps:
- Ayush Sanjivani (for user feedback on AYUSH immunity boosters)
- Yoga Locator (finds certified yoga centres)
- 💻 Customised IT Courses for AYUSH professionals
- 🌐 AYUSH Next: An interactive platform for career guidance, forums, quizzes, and information sharing.
🌀 AYUSH Grid: 6 Core Components
Think of the AYUSH Grid like a well-designed spider web — six strong strands hold the structure together:
| Pillar | Purpose |
| 1. Health Services | Digitise access to AYUSH treatments, appointments, and facilities |
| 2. Education and Research | Digital learning, online courses, and promoting evidence-based research |
| 3. Drug Administration | E-governance for AYUSH medicine licensing, standards, and pharmacovigilance |
| 4. Medicinal Plants | Mapping, conservation, and cultivation data of herbs and botanicals |
| 5. Oversight & Capacity Building | Quality assurance, audits, and continuous training for practitioners |
| 6. Media Outreach | Campaigns, awareness, and public education about AYUSH practices |
🧠 Why it matters for UPSC? Shows alignment with:
- Digital India
- Ayushman Bharat
- Healthcare Infrastructure Modernisation
📝 AYUSH Clinical Case Repository (CCR) Portal
Now, a question arises: How do we prove that AYUSH works?
Here comes AYUSH CCR — a digital platform to document real-world success cases of AYUSH treatments.
✅ Essence of the Portal:
| Feature | Description |
| Aim | Showcase strengths of AYUSH in treating various disease conditions through documented success stories |
| For Whom? | Both AYUSH practitioners and the general public |
| Launch | 2021 |
Use
- Practitioners can post successful treatment cases.
- Citizens can understand AYUSH’s effectiveness for specific conditions.
- Builds clinical credibility and public trust |
🔚 Conclusion: The Bigger Picture
These initiatives aren’t isolated — together, they complement the core National AYUSH Mission by:
- Promoting safe and responsible use of traditional medicine
- Building a digital backbone for future-ready AYUSH systems
- Documenting outcomes and evidence, silencing critics who claim AYUSH lacks scientific basis
- Providing transparency, accessibility, and modernization