Ayurvedic medicine is considered one of the most ancient medical systems of India. More than half a century has passed since the Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences was established and yet the Ayurvedic medicine system is dented as pseudoscience in the minds of people. The cause of many disbeliefs and distrust in Ayurvedic science is not surprising as many of the ayurvedic theories are unverified and bizarre. If we want to create the sustenance of Ayurvedic medicine in the modern age, there need to be drastic changes in the way the whole medical system is managed, propagated, and applied.  

When we talk about modern age medicine systems, digitization is one of the most important factors that influence the success of it. With the COVID-19 pandemic going on, and a huge evolution in healthcare underway, this is the right time to enable Ayurveda knowledge digitally and present it to the world. The use of technology and bringing digital tools can help to weed out problems of quackery and fake medicine beliefs. 

The role of AYUSH to propagate Ayurvedic medicine in the modern age

The central government has encouraged the traditional Indian way of medicine. A ministry of Ayurveda and traditional medicines,’ the Ministry of AYUSH,’ was commissioned by the Modi government. The government’s e-Government and digitization strategy advocate that all citizen-centered programs be made available in a digitized format. In order to focus on this aspect, particularly digitalization in the Ayurvedic health system, AYUSH Grid was created by the Ministry of AYUSH. In order to introduce accountability, standardization, drug regulation, and quality, digitization is very important. AYUSH supports, in a single voice, the need for rapid adoption of advanced technology to improve the ecosystem of Ayurveda. It integrates fragmented physicians and clinics to provide them with access to real-time learning, training, and certification using technology to provide patients with better Ayurvedic healthcare services.

Ayurveda needs an intellectual revolution to enter into the modern age

It’s not difficult to gauge the causes of this sloth in Ayurvedic science. A significant factor impeding research is the lack of a vibrant intellectual resource. Unfortunately, Ayurveda does not draw strong talent at the graduate and postgraduate levels for its courses. As a result, research institutions that rely on degree holders from Ayurveda manage to get only mediocre employees. And because the government has no big schemes to enable talented researchers to move to Ayurvedic study in related fields, the issue of mediocrity is exacerbated. There are two viable solutions to this issue if only the authorities are capable of solid, radical change.

First: inspire strong scientific minds to work on Ayurvedic ventures across disciplines. As a priority, in order to check, falsify, or change the Dosha theory, the government must constitute an interdisciplinary committee comprising biologists, medical scientists, and Ayurvedic doctors. This theory is fundamental to Ayurveda, so experimental studies of Ayurvedic practices are doomed to remain suboptimal and Ayurvedic education itself will remain muddled by obsolete ideas unless it is reaffirmed to be simpler and more scientifically tenable. Secondly: the state must ensure that its epistemic superstitions are discarded by the Ayurveda ecosystem and cultivate the confidence and openness to recognize falsification, which is a natural process in science.