Ayurvedic medicines mustn’t get a free pass on advertising
The outbreak of covid in 2020 sparked a global war against a deadly new virus. Away from the spotlight, it also triggered a grand domestic battle between advocates of allopathy and Ayurveda. The trigger was Patanjali Ayurved’s quick launch of Coronil, a purported ‘cure for corona’ that drew public attention to dodgy claims and protests from allopathic doctors.
A war of words erupted over various other therapies. In 2022, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) sought to put Patanjali and its founder Ramdev, a famous yoga guru, in the legal dock for running a smear campaign against allopathy. The Supreme Court extracted a public apology from them, and on Tuesday, the bench hearing the case ordered IMA chief R.V.
Asokan to widely publish a note of contrition over his criticism of the court for asking allopaths to curb their own ethical failings. Both sides have now been pulled up and given an earful by the judiciary. The court’s action of policy significance, however, was the stay imposed on a July notification issued by the Ayush ministry that would—in effect—have lifted India’s ban on misleading advertisements of Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani drugs.
By foiling that attempt, India’s apex court has upheld the cause of public health. On 27 August, the top court held that Rule 170 of India’s Drugs and Cosmetic Rules, 1945, which prohibits ads that may mislead people on the therapeutic value of medicines under those systems, shall “remain on statute books." In August 2023, acting on the advice of a panel, the Ayush ministry had sent out a letter to all states and Union territories asking them not to implement the ban. In response, the Supreme Court asked for that letter to be withdrawn, which the ministry did—but only to issue a
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