Sees a four-fold increase over seven years
Cost-effective Ayush services under the National Ayush Mission (NAM) have gotten a major boost in the Union Budget 2022 presented by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman. The total allocation of budget to the Ayush Ministry in the last seven years has increased over four times from Rs 691 crore to Rs 3050 crore.
Recognising the importance of the traditional medicine system of India including Yoga and Naturopathy in the current pandemic led situation, the central government has been emphasising the augmentation of works done by the Ayush Ministry. In the present budget, this is reflected in the increase of budget provisions in various Ayush sectors and core areas. Increasing the Budget amount, under NAM, a Centre sponsored scheme, up to Rs 800 crore will help Ayush in the up-gradation of its hospitals and dispensaries, support cultivation of medicinal plants and many other areas including an increase in export of value-added items of medicinal plants. The NAM had earlier received a budget of Rs 500 crore.
Another area that saw a big boost is Champion service Sector Scheme. The budget has been doubled in this scheme that is from Rs 29.6 crore to Rs 60.22 crore.
All the states (Rs 610 crore), union territories (Rs 70 crore) and North Eastern areas (Rs 181.97 crore) have also witnessed an increase in grants-in-aid i.e from Rs 547.87 crore to Rs 861.97 crore overall. Growing popularity and dependency on the digital space, the central Government emphasised building the digi-infrastructure which Ayush has well supported. The various provisions under the budget will see a major step towards digitising the entire Ayush sector under Ayush-grid.
Considering the strength of Ayurveda, Yoga, and other traditional Indian systems of medicine, the Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM-WHO) in India is being set up and the budgetary provisions have been done for the establishment of the centre. The establishment of WHO (GCTM) in India will directly affect investment in the traditional medicine sector in India and India can emerge as a global leader with concerted efforts. The research councils, centre of excellence and autonomous bodies also got a fair boost in the budget as they were allotted Rs 1870.1 crore.
