A dual degree of MBBS and BAMS (bachelor of ayurvedic medicine and surgery) through an integrated course at the Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER) was announced with much fanfare, but information obtained through Right to Information shows that it is far from becoming a reality.
While the health ministry has been pushing the issue, statutory bodies regulating the different systems of medicines, which were supposed to meet regularly to design modules to “promote medical pluralism”, have met just two times. JIPMER had not responded to the health ministry’s reminders on the issue till July 10.
In response to RTI queries, the NMC in its response on June 25 stated: “The third joint meeting of NMC, NCISM (National Commission for Indian System of Medicine) and NCH (National Commission for Homeopathy) was earlier proposed to be held on September 23, 2024. However, due to non-availability communicated by NCISM the same could not be held and the matter regarding convening the meeting in 2025 has not yet been decided.”
The union government had announced in May that the new integrated course combining MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) and BAMS would be started in JIPMER. File notings on the “proposal regarding setting up of an institution for providing Integral Medical Education leading to dual degrees MBBS and BAMS” shows that the proposal came from the Auroville Foundation in January last year.
Gujarat cadre IAS officer Jayanti S Ravi, who was serving as principal secretary in Gujarat’s Health and Family and Welfare Department was appointed as Secretary, Auroville Foundation in Tamil Nadu, on deputation in June 2021.
In January 2024, she wrote to the union health ministry that the Foundation, which comes under the HRD ministry, “had undertaken an effort to integrate both the systems of medicine (Ayurveda and Modern) to have a holistic approach to health care”.
It was further stated that in collaboration with ayurvedic universities and JIPMER “a draft curricula was prepared for the proposed integral medical education to grant dual degree of MBBS and BAMS” and that the curricula was “being fine-tuned for detailed integrating methodology of the two streams of science”.
However, in response to RTI queries on the issue, JIPMER stated that the requested information of records or communications were not available and hence could not be provided.
File notings provided by the health ministry showed that despite reminders from the ministry on February 13, 2024, December 31, 2024 and May 10, 2025, till July 11, there was no response from JIPMER on the issue.
Separate laws for setting up the three commissions to regulate modern medicine, ayurveda and homeopathy have one clause in common, which states that there will be joint sittings of the three commissions at least once a year “to enhance the interface between homoeopathy, Indian system of medicine and modern system of medicine”.
It further states: “The joint sitting may, by an affirmative vote of all members present and voting, decide on approving specific educational and medical modules or programmes that could be introduced in the undergraduate and postgraduate courses across medical systems, and promote medical pluralism.”
“Integration and joint curricula cannot be dictated by the government or pushed by any foundation. There are statutory bodies regulating the three systems of medicines.
It is for the commissions to design curricula and approve an integrated course, if at all,” pointed out Dr KV Babu, an ophthalmologist and RTI activist who has been tracking the integration issue over the years.
