 has been filed in the Supreme Court under Article 32, requesting the inclusion of traditional Indian healthcare systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy in the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), also known as Ayushman Bharat.){kind=link}
A Public Interest Litigation (PIL) has been filed in the Supreme Court under Article 32, requesting the inclusion of traditional Indian healthcare systems such as Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy in the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PM-JAY), also known as Ayushman Bharat. The PIL was submitted by Advocate Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay, who argues that despite government assurances and directions from the Delhi High Court, these traditional systems have not yet been added to PM-JAY.
Current Coverage and Exclusions in PM-JAY
PM-JAY mainly supports allopathic treatments for economically weaker sections and people below the poverty line. The petition notes that despite recommendations in the National Health Policy of 2017, important traditional systems like Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy have been excluded from the scheme.
Cultural Importance of Traditional Systems
The petition highlights that India’s traditional medical systems are an essential part of its cultural heritage, documented in ancient texts such as the Vedas and Upanishads. The petitioner emphasizes that these systems have proven to be effective in meeting healthcare needs and deserve a place in the national health scheme. The PIL also notes that colonial-era policies sidelined indigenous practices, weakening India’s scientific and cultural heritage.
A related writ petition was filed in the Delhi High Court in 2023. The High Court directed the government to treat the petition as a representation and act on it quickly. On March 1, 2024, the government assured that traditional healthcare systems would be included in PM-JAY, but this has not been implemented. The petitioner claims this lack of action led to filing the current PIL in the Supreme Court on November 4, 2024.
Key Excerpts from the PIL
The PIL mentions, “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.”
Case Details The case is titled Ashwini Kumar Upadhyay v. Union of India and Ors. [Diary No. 50851-2024].