In a significant legal move, a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking the inclusion of traditional Indian healthcare practices such as Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy into the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), commonly known as Ayushman Bharat. The petitioner, Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhya, argues that these time-honored health systems have been unjustly excluded from the scheme despite prior assurances from the government and directives from the Delhi High Court.
The PIL, lodged under Article 32 of the Constitution, highlights a discrepancy in PM-JAY’s coverage, which predominantly favors allopathic treatments and neglects traditional methodologies, despite their acknowledgment in the National Health Policy of 2017. This policy underlines the integration of India’s traditional healthcare into mainstream medical strategies as crucial for holistic national health advancement.
The petition draws attention to India’s rich medical heritage, as documented in ancient texts such as the Vedas and Upanishads, which has been overshadowed by colonial policies and the marginalization of indigenous knowledge systems. “India’s intellectual and cultural heritage in healthcare has been systematically eroded by colonial-era policies and a profit-oriented approach by foreign rulers,” the PIL states, emphasizing the need to restore and recognize these practices within the modern healthcare framework.
Despite a promise made by the Centre on March 1, 2024, to include these traditional systems in the PM-JAY, the commitment has not been actualized, prompting Upadhya to approach the Supreme Court. The move follows a writ petition filed in the Delhi High Court in 2023, which resulted in a directive for the Centre to consider the matter as urgent. Yet, the inclusion of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy remains unaddressed, leading to this appeal for final judicial intervention.
