Ayush Systems of Medicine
Social Justice & Development
- PYQs8
- Articles1
Background
UPSC frequently examines government policies aimed at promoting traditional knowledge, improving healthcare access, and strengthening public health infrastructure. The integration of AYUSH into mainstream healthcare, particularly for specific populations like the armed forces, reflects a significant policy direction and a broader commitment to an integrative healthcare approach, relevant for social justice and governance.
India's traditional systems of medicine, collectively known as AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy), represent ancient healthcare practices with a holistic approach to well-being. These systems emphasize preventive care, lifestyle management, and natural remedies, forming a significant part of India's cultural heritage and public health strategy.
Facts & tables
- Components
- AYUSH stands for Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homoeopathy.
- Nodal Ministry
- Ministry of Ayush was established in 2014 to promote and regulate these systems.
- Core Philosophy
- Focuses on holistic health, preventive care, lifestyle management, and natural healing.
- Policy Direction
- Government actively promotes their integration into mainstream public healthcare delivery, including an integrative healthcare approach.
| Type | Reference |
|---|---|
| Conceptual area | Traditional Knowledge Systems |
| Conceptual area | Public Health |
| Body | Role |
|---|---|
| Ministry of Ayush | Formulates policy, promotes, provides technical support for ayush systems |
| Ministry of Defence | Potential implementer/collaborator for integrating ayush services in military hospitals |
Prelims angle
Prelims angle: Multi-statement analysis
Prelims angle: Policy measures
- AYUSH: Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy.
- Promoted by Ministry of Ayush (est. 2014) for traditional medicine.
- Focus: Holistic, preventive, lifestyle-based healthcare.
- Government aims for integration into mainstream healthcare.
- Current initiative: Expanding services in military and field hospitals.
| Year | Framing tags |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall |
| 2023 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
| 2023 | Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis |
| 2018 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
| 2017 | Statement-based questions, Factual recall |
| 2017 | Terminology-based question, Policy measures |
| 2016 | Purpose or function of a policy tool, Factual recall |
| 2016 | Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures |
Timeline
-
Traditional Knowledge Systems
Conceptual area
-
Public Health
Conceptual area
-
Prelims 2016
Purpose or function of a policy tool, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2016
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2017
Statement-based questions, Factual recall
-
Prelims 2017
Terminology-based question, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2018
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2023
Multi-statement analysis, Policy measures
-
Prelims 2023
Statement-based questions, Multi-statement analysis
-
Prelims 2026
Multi-statement analysis, Factual recall
-
Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav writes to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on expanding Ayush treatment services in Military and Field Hospitals
AYUSH systems are India's traditional medical practices (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy) promoted by the Ministry of Ayush for holistic, preventive healthcare, increasingly integrated into public health, as seen in the proposal for military hospitals.
See also
No related topics linked yet.
Past papers
2016–2026 · 8 questions
In the news
Union Minister Shri Prataprao Jadhav writes to Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on expanding Ayush treatment services in Military and Field Hospitals
AYUSH systems are India's traditional medical practices (Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy) promoted by the Ministry of Ayush for holistic, preventive healthcare, increasingly integrated into public health, as seen in the proposal for military hospitals.
Try these PYQs
Which of the following is/are the aim/aims of "Digital India" Plan of the Government of India?
1. Formation of India's own Internet companies like China did.
2. Establish a policy framework to encourage overseas multinational corporations that collect Big Data to build their large data centres within our national geographical boundaries.
3. Connect many of our villages to the Internet and bring Wi-Fi to many of our school, public places and major tourist centres
Select the correct answer using the code given below
* Statement 1 is not correct: The formation of India’s own internet companies, similar to China’s approach, is not an aim of the Digital India programme. The initiative focuses on creating digital infrastructure, providing digital services, and promoting digital literacy — not establishing government-backed internet firms. * Statement 2 is not correct: The Digital India plan does not include any policy framework to attract foreign multinational corporations to build data centres in India. While data localisation and data centre policies have emerged later under different frameworks, they are not part of the original Digital India objectives. * Statement 3 is correct: One of the key aims of Digital India is to connect villages through broadband and to provide Wi-Fi access in schools, public places, and tourist centres. This is part of its core pillars like Broadband Highways, Public Internet Access Programme, and Early Harvest Programmes.
With reference to ‘Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion’, which of the following statements is/are correct?
1. This initiative aims to demonstrate the improved production and post-harvest technologies and to demonstrate value addition techniques, in an integrated manner, with a cluster approach.
2. Poor, small, marginal and tribal farmers have a larger stake in this scheme.
3. An important objective of the scheme is to encourage farmers of commercial crops to shift to millet cultivation by offering them free kits of critical inputs of nutrients and micro-irrigation equipment.
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
Statement 1 is correct. The Initiative for Nutritional Security through Intensive Millets Promotion aims to demonstrate improved production and post-harvest technologies in an integrated manner with a cluster approach. Statement 2 is also correct. Millets are mainly grown in regions of low annual rainfall and poor arid soil. It is inadequate, small, marginal and tribal farmers, who cannot afford costly irrigation practices, depend on the cultivation of millets. Hence these farmers benefit from the scheme and have a larger stake in this scheme. Statement 3 is not correct. There is no such provision to encourage commercial crop farmers to shift to millet cultivation.
‘SWAYAM’, an initative of the Government of India, aims at
Under SWAYAM or Study Webs of Active Learning for Young Aspiring Minds programme of the Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, professors and faculties from centrally funded institutions like IITs, IIMs, central universities will offer online courses to citizens of India. SWAYAM is an instrument for self-actualisation providing opportunities for life-long learning. Here, learners can choose from hundreds of courses, virtually every course that is taught at the university/college/school level and these shall be offered by the best of the teachers in India and elsewhere.
Which of the following statements with regard to the persons with disabilities in India is/are correct ?
1. The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, an Act passed by the Parliament of India in 2018, mandates reservation in education and employment, places a legal duty on Governments to ensure accessibility and non-discrimination.
2. The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains — built infrastructure, transport systems and information and communication technology.
3. The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a public sector organisation set up by the Ministry of Corporate Affairs as a not-for-profit company to promote entrepreneurship among Persons with Disabilities (PwDs).
Select the answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is Incorrect: The Rights of Persons with Disabilities (RPwD) Act was passed by the Parliament of India in 2016, not 2018. It aligns with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and places a legal obligation on governments to ensure non-discrimination and accessibility. It also mandates reservations for PwDs, such as increasing the quota to 4% in government employment and 5% in higher education. Statement 2 is Correct: The Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan (Accessible India Campaign) was launched in 2015 by the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD). It focuses on achieving universal accessibility for Persons with Disabilities across three key domains: built infrastructure (barrier-free public buildings), transport systems (accessible railways, airports, and roads), and information and communication technology (accessible government websites and digital ecosystems). Statement 3 is Incorrect: The National Divyangjan Finance and Development Corporation (NDFDC) is a Central Public Sector Undertaking registered as a not-for-profit company to provide concessional financial assistance to promote entrepreneurship, self-employment, and higher education among PwDs. However, it was set up under the aegis of the Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, not the Ministry of Corporate Affairs. Therefore, the correct option is B.
Consider the following statements :
Statement-I :India's public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care.
Statement-II: Under India's decentralized approach to health care delivery, the States are primarily responsible for organizing health services.
Which one of the following is correct in respect of the above statements?
* Statement I is correct: India's public healthcare system prioritises curative care, which focuses on treating existing illnesses. Preventive, promotive, and rehabilitative care, which aims to prevent diseases, promote good health, and help people recover from illness, receive less emphasis. * Statement II is correct: India's healthcare system follows a decentralised approach. The central government sets policies and provides financial assistance, but individual states are responsible for organising and delivering health services to their populations. This allows for flexibility based on local needs and contexts.
Therefore, the answer is Both Statement I and Statement II are correct.
Show 3 more PYQs
Consider the following in respect of ‘National Career Service’:
1. National Career Service is an initiative of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India.
2. National Career Service has been launched in a Mission Mode to improve the employment opportunities to uneducated youth of the country.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect. The National Career Service is not an initiative of the Department of Personnel and Training, Government of India. It is actually implemented by the Directorate General of Employment, Ministry of Labour & Employment. Statement 2 is incorrect. The National Career Service has indeed been launched in a Mission Mode, but it is not specifically targeted at improving the employment opportunities for uneducated youth of the country. It is a comprehensive platform providing a wide array of employment and career related services to all citizens of India, aiming to bridge the gap between jobseekers and employers, candidates seeking training and career guidance, and agencies providing training and career counselling.
Consider the following statements in relation to Janani Suraksha Yojana:
1. It is safe motherhood intervention of the State Health Departments.
2. Its objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality among poor pregnant women.
3. It aims to promote institutional delivery among poor pregnant women.
4. Its objective includes providing public health facilities to sick infants up to one year of age.
How many of the statements given above are correct?
Statement 1 is incorrect: Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) is a 100% Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the National Health Mission (NHM). It is a central intervention implemented by states, not an intervention of the State Health Departments. Statement 2 is correct: The primary objective is to reduce maternal and neonatal mortality by encouraging safe, institutional births. Statement 3 is correct: The scheme provides a cash incentive to mothers to promote institutional delivery, particularly among those from BPL, SC, and ST households. Statement 4 is incorrect: While care for sick infants is a priority under the National Health Mission, the provision of free facilities for sick infants up to one year of age is specifically a feature of the Janani Shishu Suraksha Karyakram (JSSK) launched in 2011. JSY, launched in 2005, is primarily a conditional cash transfer scheme for delivery.
What is the purpose of ‘Vidyanjali Yojana’?
1. To enable the famous foreign educational institutions to open their campuses in India.
2. To increase the quality of education provided in government schools by taking help from the private sector and the community.
3. To encourage voluntary monetary contributions from private individuals and organizations so as to improve the infrastructure facilities for primary and secondary schools.
Select the correct answer using the code given below :
Statement 1 is incorrect. Vidyanjali Yojana is not focused on attracting foreign universities to set up campuses in India. Statement 2 is correct. Vidyanjali Yojana aims to improve government schools by leveraging resources and expertise from the private sector (retired professionals, NGOs) and the community (volunteers). Statement 3 is incorrect. While the initiative might indirectly lead to improved infrastructure due to volunteer efforts, its primary focus is not on monetary contributions for infrastructure development.