On Ayurveda
We write this letter as the President and the General Secretary, respectively, of the Ayurveda Medical Association of India (AMAI). While the question of “integration” and the extent of clinical practice by practitioners of Ayurveda is open for public and policy-level discourse, the article, “The medical boundaries for AYUSH practitioners” (Editorial page, July 29), unfairly singles out a globally recognised and government-approved system of medicine. It selectively quotes legal provisions, ignoring judicial pronouncements and the evolving nature of India’s medical pluralism. Under Indian law, the terms doctor, vaidya, and hakim are considered synonymous when it comes to legitimate and recognised systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, Siddha, and Unani. This recognition has been established through court rulings and government notifications, especially after the enactment of The Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970, and policies supporting AYUSH. The article fails to acknowledge the acceptance Ayurveda enjoys today, as a scientific and evidence-based holistic medical system.
To present the prescribing rights of Ayurveda doctors as illegitimate or dangerous, without acknowledging the training, curriculum, and government regulation they follow, is not just irresponsible journalism but also a misrepresentation of facts aimed at misleading the public. Furthermore, implying that Ayurveda lacks a scientific foundation is both factually incorrect and intellectually dishonest. The article conveniently avoids the fact that many allopathic interventions have themselves not been subjected to rigorous traditional evidence hierarchies.
This kind of journalism undermines not only our national heritage but also the constitutional and legal framework that allows multiple systems of medicine to coexist and serve diverse public health needs in India.
Dr. K.S. Vishnu Namboothiri,
Dr. P.K. Haridas,
Thiruvananthapuram
New queen
That Divya Deshmukh is the new chess queen is wonderful news. Parents and teachers need to identify children with an interest in chess.
Gudipati Anirudh,
Secunderabad
Published – July 30, 2025 12:24 am IST