A Public Interest Litigation has been filed in the Supreme Court, urging the inclusion of traditional Indian healthcare systems—Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy—into the PM-JAY scheme. Despite prior commitments from the Centre and directives from the Delhi High Court, these practices remain excluded. The PIL highlights the need to integrate traditional methods into national healthcare, ensuring access for economically disadvantaged sections.
New Delhi: A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court under Article 32, urging the inclusion of traditional Indian healthcare systems—Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy—into the National Health Protection Mission, Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), also known as Ayushman Bharat. The petitioner, Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhya, contends that despite the Centre’s assurance and the Delhi High Court’s directions, these vital healthcare practices have yet to be integrated into PM-JAY.
The petition emphasizes that PM-JAY primarily covers allopathic treatments for economically weaker sections and those below the poverty line, while excluding traditional systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy. This exclusion is particularly significant given the recommendations outlined in the National Health Policy of 2017, which recognizes the importance of incorporating these traditional practices into national healthcare initiatives.
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According to the petition, India’s rich healthcare legacy—documented in ancient scriptures, Vedas, and Upanishads—has been systematically eroded due to colonial-era policies that marginalized indigenous practices. The PIL references a prior assurance from the Centre on March 1, 2024, which promised to include traditional healthcare systems in PM-JAY; however, this commitment remains unfulfilled.
“India is a country rich in various great traditions of sages and has clear evidence of this in various available scriptures, Vedas, Puranas, Upanishads, etc. Unfortunately, due to various policies created by foreign rulers and individuals with a colonial mindset, our cultural, intellectual knowledge, and scientific heritage have been systematically eroded,”
states the PIL. It further asserts that the profit-oriented approach of foreign rulers during India’s independence has undermined the country’s rich heritage and history.
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Following an initial writ petition filed in Delhi High Court in 2023, the court directed the Centre to treat the PIL as a representation and act swiftly. Despite this direction, the petitioner maintains that Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy continue to be excluded from Ayushman Bharat, prompting the current PIL in the Supreme Court, filed on November 4, 2024, seeking final redress.
This PIL not only aims to revive traditional Indian healthcare systems but also emphasizes the necessity of integrating these practices into the national health framework to ensure comprehensive healthcare access for all.
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