Delhi High Court dismisses plea by Ashwini Upadhyay to include Ayurveda, Yoga in Ayushman Bharat scheme

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay seeking directions to include Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy treatments in the Ayushman Bharat scheme. .A Division Bench of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora dismissed the plea on grounds of non-prosecution. .The High Court had on November 2, 2023 issued notice in the matter.When the case came up for hearing today, the Court initially passed over the matter since no counsel appeared for either side.When the matter was taken up in the second round, no one appeared yet again.The Court then proceeded to dismiss the matter."Even in passover, no one appears. The petition is dismissed in default on account of non-prosecution," the Court ordered..The Ayushman Bharat scheme was launched by the Central government in the year 2018 to provide health coverage for Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.It has two main components - the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and the Health and Wellness Centres.Under PMJAY, health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year is provided..Upadhyay argued that PMJAY covers only allopathy hospitals and dispensaries while “indigenous medical systems” like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani and Homeopathy are not covered.He said that the healthcare facilities provided under Health and Wellness Centres (HWCs) and PMJAY are incomplete and do not align with the fundamental rights as enshrined in the Constitution.“This plan predominantly covers and is limited to allopathic hospitals and dispensaries, while India boasts various indigenous medical systems, including Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy, which are rooted in India's rich traditions and are highly effective in addressing the healthcare needs of the present time,” the plea said.It claimed that in India, more than 90% of doctors trained in Indian medical practices run their private clinics and hospitals and the Ayushman scheme's exclusion of Ayurveda and other Indian medical practices infringes upon the fundamental rights of these doctors.He said that if Ayurveda is included in Ayushman Bharat scheme, it will allow a significant portion of the country's population to avail affordable healthcare benefits and wellness in various serious diseases without any harm and at low rates, and will also provide employment to thousands of people in the field of Ayurveda.