AYUSH meaning: the systems and who registers them What the acronym covers, when the Ministry was formed, which commission keeps each register, and what the law says on scope of practice.

AYUSH is the acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa and Homoeopathy, the systems of health care overseen by the Union Ministry of Ayush, whose practitioners are registered under the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 or the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020. A BAMS, BUMS or BSMS doctor falls under the first Act and a BHMS doctor under the second. Each Act has a commission, a National Register and State Registers kept by state councils.

What does AYUSH stand for?

A Ministry of AYUSH reference document, in its chapter on AYUSH systems, says "AYUSH is an acronym for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha & Sowa Rigpa, and Homoeopathy." Its background chapter gives the history: "The Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) was established in the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare in March, 1995. It was re-named as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy with acronym as AYUSH in November, 2003." It describes Sowa Rigpa as "the recent addition to the existing family of AYUSH systems". A PIB note on the Ministry's achievements states: "The Ministry of AYUSH was established on 9th November, 2014".

Where does the registration rule come from?

From two Acts of 2020. Section 2(h) of the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Act, 2020 defines the Indian System of Medicine as "the Ashtang Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa-Rigpa Systems of Medicine supplemented by such modern advances, scientific and technological development as the Commission may, in consultation with the Central Government, declare by notification from time to time". Section 2(f) of the National Commission for Homoeopathy Act, 2020 defines Homoeopathy as "the Homoeopathic System of Medicine and includes the use of biochemic remedies" with similar modern advances.

Section 34(1) of each Act then says no person other than one enrolled in the State Register or the National Register shall be allowed to practise that system "as a qualified practitioner", hold office as a physician or surgeon, or sign or authenticate a medical or fitness certificate required by law. A contravention is punishable with imprisonment up to one year, a fine up to five lakh rupees, or both. Yoga and Naturopathy are part of the acronym but neither Act defines them, and this entry does not describe a register for them.

What may an AYUSH practitioner practise?

Their own system, and anything more only where a law confers it. Section 34(3)(b) of the Indian System of Medicine Act says nothing in the section shall affect "the privileges, including the right to practice any system of medicine, conferred by or under any law for the time being in force in a State on the practitioners of Indian System of Medicine enrolled in the State register of that State". The Homoeopathy Act's section 34(3) has no matching clause. On the modern medicine side, clause 1.1.3 of the 2002 conduct regulations says "A person obtaining qualification in any other system of Medicine is not allowed to practice Modern system of Medicine in any form." Our post on BAMS, BHMS and BUMS clinic rules sets out the case law and state position; read your state's law before prescribing outside your system.

What it means for a small clinic

Each doctor's registration should match the system they practise at the clinic. At Sunrise Clinic, a sample clinic with an MBBS doctor in the morning and a BAMS doctor in the evening, the two hold registrations from different councils under different Acts, and each signs only the prescriptions and certificates within their own registration. Medicines are treated differently too: the DPCO excludes Ayurvedic, Siddha, Unani and homoeopathic medicines from its definition of a formulation.