Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister of India has expanded his ministry by introducing a separate Ministry to promote alternative medicines of India. The new department is called Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AAYUSH).  AYUSH earlier was part of the Health Ministry. With the separation & creation of AAYUSH as a separate entity, Shri Modi has appointed Shri Shripad Yesso Naik as Minister of State (Independent Charge) and has inducted 21 ministers for the same. Before this portfolio, Shri Naik was Minister of State of Tourism and Culture with Independent Charge. 

 

India is the birth place of all traditional forms of medicine, which was, in fact, the mainstream medicine followed & practiced by doctors hundreds of years ago. But with the British Rule, Allopathy was promoted and gained the status of the most preferred form of medicine. In his speech at the UN, Modi stressed on the benefits of Yoga & natural healing and how it could create consciousness amongst ourselves and help us deal with climate change. ‘Yoga embodies unity of mind and body; thought and action; restraint and fulfilment; harmony between man and nature; a holistic approach to health and well-being," he had said. 

 

At the same forum, he asked countries to celebrate June 21st as International Yoga Day, which received a positive response from as many as 50 countries including the US, China, Nepal, Bhutan and Canada.