Health & SocialImportant2025-05-30

Ministry of Ayush Launches AyushSuraksha Portal

In News

What Happened

On May 30, 2025, the Ministry of Ayush officially launched the AyushSuraksha Portal. This serves as a centralized digital platform specifically designed for reporting and monitoring misleading advertisements and Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) tied to traditional Indian medicines. The portal's creation was directly mandated by a 2024 Supreme Court directive to ensure better consumer safety and regulatory compliance.

Why It Matters

This initiative is crucial for establishing robust pharmacovigilance within India's rapidly expanding traditional medicine sector. By cracking down on false health claims and monitoring side effects, it protects public health, enforces accountability, and enhances the global credibility of Ayush systems.

Background

History & Context

Historically, pharmacovigilance for traditional medicines in India was highly fragmented, leading to rampant false claims and unregulated side effects. While the Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act of 1954 was enacted to curb misleading ads, it suffered from weak enforcement in the alternative medicine space. In 2024, addressing issues raised by misleading cure claims from prominent Ayurvedic companies, the Supreme Court directed the government to establish a strict, centralized monitoring and redressal system.

What Changed

▶
BEFORE: Reporting Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) for traditional medicines was largely manual, uncoordinated, and decentralized. NOW: Consumers and medical practitioners can report ADRs directly through a unified, centralized digital platform.
▶
BEFORE: Action against misleading Ayush advertisements relied on delayed complaints to state licensing authorities or bodies like the Advertising Standards Council of India (ASCI). NOW: The portal provides real-time, coordinated tracking of deceptive marketing for swift regulatory action by the central government.
▶
BEFORE: The Right to Safety regarding traditional medicines lacked an accessible redressal mechanism for the common citizen. NOW: The platform operationalizes consumer protection by linking direct public reporting with regulatory enforcement under the Drugs and Magic Remedies Act.

Prelims Angle

NCERT Connection

This development is a direct application of the concepts in NCERT Class 10 (Consumer Rights) and the Consumer Protection Act, 2019. It reinforces the 'Right to Safety' and the 'Right to be Informed' by giving citizens a formal, accessible mechanism to report and protect themselves against harmful traditional drugs and deceptive marketing practices.

Practice Questions

Q1

Correct Statement(s)

Which of the following statements is/are correct regarding the regulation of traditional medicines in India? 1. The AyushSuraksha Portal was launched to monitor both misleading advertisements and Adverse Drug Reactions (ADRs) related to traditional medicines. 2. The Drugs and Magic Remedies (Objectionable Advertisements) Act, 1954 exclusively governs allopathic medicines and does not apply to the Ayush sector.

Up next