Once rooted in anecdotal wisdom and centuries-old healing traditions, Homoeopathy in India is undergoing a bold transformation — emerging as a modern, research-driven medical discipline
Homoeopathy in India, deeply rooted in traditional healing wisdom, is undergoing a significant transformation. Homoeopathy is evolving rapidly, gaining scientific credibility, expanding its reach, and playing a bigger role in healthcare policy, education, and research.
At the forefront of this evolution is the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH), the apex Organisation involved in Research, under the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India. With a mission to validate and modernise the practice of Homoeopathy. CCRH is leading a nationwide revolution based on scientific evidence, innovation, and global collaboration.
Headquartered in New Delhi, CCRH coordinates a multi-layered network of 27 Institutes/ units and 07 treatment centres across the country. These centres carry out high-quality research, combining clinical experience with rigorous scientific methodology. From the bustling corridors of urban research institutes to outreach in rural India, CCRH’s work ensures that Homoeopathy remains not only accessible but also scientifically sound.
A cornerstone of the Council’s work lies in the cultivation of medicinal plants and the standardisation of drugs used in Homoeopathy. The process of standardisation involves establishing defined parameters and acceptable criteria for various plant characteristics, thereby ensuring the quality and consistency of raw materials. Since its inception, the Council has conducted pharmacognosy studies on 368 drugs, physicochemical studies on 362, and pharmacological studies on 151. A total of 149 drugs have been studied across all three dimensions. Council’s Central Research Institute in Ooty has prepared over 11,717 herbarium sheets and digitisation efforts are currently underway, reinforcing the Council’s commitment to preserving and enhancing botanical knowledge.
Drug proving and clinical verification form the bedrock of Homoeopathy’s scientific framework. CCRH has successfully proved 132 drugs, including 22 newly introduced by the Council. These efforts are further strengthened by collaborations with 19 homoeopathic medical colleges and the implementation of the HPT portal, which enables real-time data collection from proving centres. Since 1978, CCRH has been systematically verifying indigenous and fragmentarily proved drugs. A total of 126 drugs have been clinically verified, and the findings have been disseminated through six books, 72 journal articles, and 19 drug monographs. In Clinical Verification, 08 drugs are undergoing verification, namely Benzinum nitricum, Cheiranthus cheiri, Coleus forskohlii, Cucurbita pepo, Cuscuta reflexa, Iberis amara, Justicia adhatoda and Phyllanthus niruri.
In the evolving narrative of modern medicine, where traditional knowledge increasingly meets evidence-based inquiry, the Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH) stands tall as a symbol of scientific transformation. Far from being confined to anecdotal wisdom or historical practice, homoeopathy in India is now undergoing a research-driven renaissance-and CCRH is leading that charge with remarkable scientific depth and discipline.
CCRH’s commitment to rigorous clinical research brings together the holistic framework of homoeopathic medicine and the methodological gold standards of contemporary science. The Council conducts trials through globally accepted practices like randomised controlled trials (RCTs), double-blinding, and robust statistical modelling to explore the safety, efficacy, and effectiveness of homoeopathic interventions. This approach ensures that homoeopathy is evaluated at par with any other modern medical system-credibly, transparently, and repeatably.
Over the decades, the Council has built an expansive research portfolio that is both ambitious in scope and comprehensive in execution. To date, 238 clinical studies have been conducted, of which 195 are completed, including 154 observational studies and 41 RCTs.
These studies span an impressive range of health concerns, demonstrating the versatility of homoeopathy across disease spectrums. On one end are infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, influenza-like illnesses, acute encephalitis syndrome, and gastroenteritis-conditions where cost-effective, immune-boosting interventions are vital. On the other end are chronic and lifestyle diseases such as hypertension, benign prostatic hyperplasia, cervical spondylosis, urolithiasis, and thrombocytopenia due to dengue-conditions that often strain healthcare systems and patients alike. What’s truly striking is the Council’s ability to pivot rapidly in times of crisis. During the COVID-19 pandemic, CCRH played an instrumental role by conducting clinical studies to evaluate the role of homoeopathy in symptom management and immunity enhancement marking a bold step in integrating alternative systems in public health emergency responses.
The realm of research doesn’t stop at just clinical implementation. CCRH has also conducted 335 disease-specific trials, with a strong publication record of over 400 scientific papers in reputed national and international journals. This vast dissemination of knowledge not only supports clinical practitioners and educators but also strengthens India’s global voice in the realm of medical pluralism.
What emerges from this extensive clinical exploration is a new model for how traditional systems like homoeopathy can evolve-not by abandoning their core principles, but by reinforcing them with data, evidence, and continual innovation. With each study, CCRH is not merely validating treatments-it is building bridges between traditional wisdom and the scientific world, empowering both policy makers and patients with informed choices.
The Council’s approach integrates homoeopathic philosophy with contemporary scientific methods, including randomised controlled trials, double-blinding, and statistical evaluation. To date, 238 studies have been conducted, of which 195 have been concluded 154 observational studies and 41 randomised controlled trials. An additional five studies are currently ongoing. These studies address a wide spectrum of health conditions, ranging from infectious diseases like HIV/AIDS, gastroenteritis, and influenza-like illness, to lifestyle and non-communicable diseases such as benign prostatic hyperplasia, hypertension, cervical spondylosis, urolithiasis, and even COVID-19. The cumulative body of work includes 335 disease-specific studies, with over 400 publications in both national and international peer-reviewed journals.
Besides research, the Council also offers homoeopathic treatment in various parts of the country. As per AHMIS data from 20 implemented institutes, last year’s OPD turnover was 5,50,404. 2. Recognising the growing need for Homoeopathy in epidemic and pandemic scenarios, the Council established an Epidemic Cell in 2015. This specialised unit explores and implements the use of Homoeopathy in managing outbreaks, offering both preventive and therapeutic strategies. The work of the Epidemic Cell highlights CCRH’s proactive role in public health and epidemic preparedness.
The Council has also expanded its efforts into fundamental and pre-clinical research to investigate the biological and molecular mechanisms underpinning Homoeopathic treatment. To this end, state-of-the-art laboratories have been developed. These include a virology lab at the Dr Anjali Chatterjee Regional Research Institute in Kolkata, a clinical HIV laboratory at JSPS Government Homoeopathic Medical College in Hyderabad, and the Dr. Bholanath Chakraborty Memorial Fundamental Research Laboratory at the Indian Institute of Engineering Science and Technology, Shibpur. These facilities support specialised research in areas of national health importance and offer infrastructure for advanced scientific exploration.
CCRH’s commitment to fostering research-oriented education is equally noteworthy. The Council launched the Short Term Studentship in Homoeopathy (STSH) program in 2014 to promote research aptitude among undergraduates pursuing the Bachelor of Homoeopathic Medicine and Surgery (BHMS) degree. Since the program’s inception, 5,717 students have registered, and 421 have received scholarships. These initiatives not only nurture future researchers but also help integrate scientific thinking into Homoeopathic education from an early stage. In addition to its national efforts, CCRH actively collaborates with leading institutions such as the All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS), Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR), National Institute of Communicable Diseases (NICD), Paralympics Committee of India (PCI), Apollo Group of Hospitals and National AIDS Control Organisation (NACO), DBT- THSTI (Translational Health Science and Technology Institute) etc. Through these collaborations,
CCRH ensures that its researches are conducted as per robust methodologies and that its findings align with the healthcare requirements of the country. International partnerships further help elevate the global perception of Homoeopathy, transforming it from a traditional system into a modern, evidence-supported medical discipline. To date, CCRH has published 239 research papers in reputed journals, alongside monographs, newsletters, and educational materials.
These publications play a critical role in knowledge dissemination, helping practitioners, researchers, and policymakers stay informed about the latest advancements in the field.The Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy is not just preserving a medical tradition-it is transforming it. As they have coined their acronym as Committed to Credible Research in Homoeopathy, through an unwavering commitment to research, standardisation, education, and innovation, CCRH is driving a scientific revolution in Homoeopathy. As the world increasingly turns toward integrative and holistic healthcare models, India is leading the way in demonstrating that Homoeopathy can be both traditionally rooted and scientifically advanced.
(The writer is Director General, Central Council for Research in Homoeopathy (CCRH). Views expressed are personal)
