A Parliamentary panel has suggested the Government to introduce different disciplines of Indian System of Medicine (ISM) in the school curriculum to make students from early childhood aware of the concept of mindfulness and holistic health that the AYUSH system is based on.

"The present poor health infrastructure in the country demands more trained healthcare providers from the modern as well as ISM. The Committee, therefore, is of the view that different disciplines of ISM should also be introduced in the school curriculum," said the report prepared by the panel headed by Rajya Sabha member Ram Gopal Yadav..

The observation comes in the wake of the growing burden of lifestyle related diseases on economic and  health care system. According to Government data, 17,73,75,226 patients visited Government health care Facilities under AYUSH in OPD and 19,57,921 were admitted as inpatients in 2017-18.

The panel which has submitted its report to the Parliament recently also sought the inclusion of yoga and naturopathy in the National Commission for ISM Bill, stating these age-old practices with focus on holistic health are an integral part of Indian culture and the AYUSH system.

The panel  observed that the absence of a central regulatory body at a time when yoga is being considered as a panacea for a meaningful life and living "may result in proliferation of poor standard institutes and unchecked practices by unqualified practitioners".

Drafted on the lines of the National Medical Commission, the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine Bill, 2019 seeks to create a new regulator, replacing the statutory body Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM), governing higher education in Indian systems of medicine.

The Bill provides for conducting a common National Eligibility-Cum-Entrance Test and common counselling by the designated authority (central and state) for admission to all the medical institutions offering Indian System of Medicine so as to ensure quality and transparency in admissions.