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{{Short description|Kerala state government department for alternative medicine systems}}
{{Infobox government agency
| agency_name = Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH)
| native_name = AYUSH Department
| type = Department
| logo = Government of Kerala Logo.svg
| logo_width = 120px
| jurisdiction = Kerala, India
| headquarters = [[Kerala Government Secretariat|Government Secretariat]], [[Thiruvananthapuram]], [[Kerala]], India
| minister1_name = [[Veena George]]
| minister1_pfo = Minister for Health and Family Welfare, AYUSH
| chief1_name = Dr.Rajan N Khobragade IAS <ref>https://health.kerala.gov.in/acsdeskdetails</ref>
| chief1_position = Additional Chief Secretary to Government (AYUSH)
| parent_department =
| child1_agency = Directorate of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM)
| child2_agency = Directorate of Homeopathy
| child3_agency = Directorate of Ayurvedic Medical Education
| child4_agency = Directorate of Homeopathic Medical Education
| child5_agency = National AYUSH Mission, Kerala
| website = {{URL|https://health.kerala.gov.in}}
}}

The '''Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH)''' is a department under the [[Government of Kerala]] that formulates policies, administers government institutions, and coordinates programmes related to traditional and alternative systems of medicine in [[Kerala]]. The department promotes [[Ayurveda]], [[Yoga]] and [[Naturopathy]], [[Unani medicine|Unani]], [[Siddha]], and [[Homeopathy]] and regulates educational, research, and healthcare activities in the AYUSH sector across the state.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Department of AYUSH - Government of Kerala |url=https://ayush.kerala.gov.in/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20240601000000/https://ayush.kerala.gov.in/ |archive-date=2024-06-01 |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=ayush.kerala.gov.in |language=en}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Bureau |first=The Hindu |date=2025-01-17 |title=Kerala government making efforts to improve AYUSH department initiatives in State, says Governor |url=https://www.thehindu.com/news/national/kerala/kerala-government-making-efforts-to-improve-ayush-department-initiatives-in-state-says-governor/article69108395.ece |access-date=2025-11-10 |work=The Hindu |language=en-IN |issn=0971-751X}}</ref>

The department functions through directorates and autonomous bodies that manage hospitals, research institutions, medical colleges, and wellness programmes.

The ministry has been accused of promoting pseudoscience<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kumar |first=Ruchi |title=Face It: The Indian Government Is Peddling Pseudoscience – The Wire Science |date=27 April 2020 |url=https://science.thewire.in/health/indian-government-pseudoscience-covid-19/ |access-date=2022-04-10 |language=en-GB}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |last=Krishnan |first=Vidya |date=2020-08-18 |title=Where Pseudoscience Is Spreading |url=https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2020/08/amitabh-bachchan-india-coronavirus/615310/ |access-date=2022-04-10 |website=The Atlantic |language=en}}</ref> and has faced significant criticism for funding systems that lack [[biological plausibility]] and are either untested or conclusively proven as ineffective. Quality of research has been poor, and drugs have been launched without rigorous pharmacological studies and meaningful [[clinical trials on ayurveda]] or other alternative healthcare systems.<ref name="Rathee2018">{{cite news |last=Rathee |first=Pranshu |date=2018-11-20 |title=What is AYUSH and the controversy around it? |work=[[Deccan Herald]] |publisher=The Printers (Mysore) |url=https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/what-ayush-and-controversy-703993.html |url-status=live |access-date=2021-04-04 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201122144706/https://www.deccanherald.com/specials/what-ayush-and-controversy-703993.html |archive-date=2020-11-22}}</ref><ref name="Narayanan2020">{{cite news|work=[[Firstpost]]|url=https://www.firstpost.com/india/patanajali-covid-19-ayush-ministry-weak-response-ramdevs-coronil-stunt-endangers-people-jeopardises-ayurveda-homeopathy-8529151.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201121014011/https://www.firstpost.com/india/patanajali-covid-19-ayush-ministry-weak-response-ramdevs-coronil-stunt-endangers-people-jeopardises-ayurveda-homeopathy-8529151.html|archive-date=2020-11-21|date=2020-07-01|last=Narayanan|first=Kavya|title=AYUSH Ministry is endangering people, jeopardising Ayurveda with lax response to Patanjali's Coronil and COVID-19, warn experts}}</ref>

== Leadership ==
The Department of AYUSH is administratively under the [[Minister (government)|Cabinet Minister]] for Health and Family Welfare. The current minister is [[Veena George]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=Kerala Council of Ministers - Kerala Legislative Assembly |url=https://www.niyamasabha.nic.in/index.php/chief_minister/ministers |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=niyamasabha.nic.in}}</ref>

The department is headed by a [[Principal secretary (India)|Principal Secretary to Government]], an [[Indian Administrative Service|IAS]] officer, supported by Additional Secretaries, Deputy Secretaries, Under Secreteries and other officials posted in the Secretariat.<ref name=":1">[https://gad.kerala.gov.in/sites/default/files/general_attachment/Rules%20of%20Business%20-%20Part%20II.pdf Rules of Business of Government of Kerala – Part II: First Schedule]</ref>
== Functions ==
* Promotion and development of Ayurveda, Homeopathy, Unani, Siddha, Yoga and Naturopathy.<ref name=":0" />
* Administration of government AYUSH hospitals, dispensaries, and medical education institutions.
* Implementation of national and state AYUSH health programmes.
* Promotion of AYUSH-based preventive health and lifestyle medicine.
* Coordination of research, clinical trials, and medicinal plant development initiatives.

== Directorates ==
The operational wings of the department include:

* '''Directorate of Homeopathy'''
* '''Directorate of Indian Systems of Medicines (ISM)'''<ref>{{Cite web |last=ISM |date=2022-05-10 |title=Home |url=https://www.ism.kerala.gov.in/eng/ |access-date=2025-11-10 |website=Department of Indian Systems of Medicine |language=en-gb}}</ref>
* '''Directorate of Homeopathic Medical Education''' '''(DHME)'''
* '''National Ayush Mission, Kerala'''
==Organisations==
The following is the table of organisations under administrative control of Ayush department.
{| class="wikitable"
! Organisation
! Website
|-
| Ayurveda Drugs Control, Kerala
| {{URL|https://dcayur.kerala.gov.in/}}
|-
| State Medicinal Plants Board, Kerala
| {{URL|https://www.smpbkerala.in/}}
|-
| Kerala State Homoeopathic Co-operative Pharmacy Ltd. (HOMCO)
| {{URL|https://homcokerala.com/}}
|-
| The Pharmaceutical Corporation (Oushadhi)
| {{URL|https://www.oushadhi.org/}}
|}

== Subordinate Institutions ==

=== Directorates / Field Departments ===
* Directorate of Homeopathy<ref>{{Cite web |title=Home |url=https://homoeopathy.kerala.gov.in/en/home/ |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=Homoeopathy |language=en-GB}}</ref>
* Directorate of Indian Systems of Medicine (ISM)<ref>{{Cite web |last=ISM |date=2022-05-10 |title=Home |url=https://www.ism.kerala.gov.in/eng/ |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=Department of Indian Systems of Medicine |language=en-gb}}</ref>
* Directorate of Ayurveda Medical Education (DAME)<ref>{{Cite web |title=DAME – Ayurveda College |url=https://ayurvedacollege.ac.in/dame/ |access-date=2026-01-14 |language=en-US}}</ref>
* Directorate of Homeopathic Medical Education (DHME)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Windstripe |date=2023-09-11 |title=Home |url=https://www.ghmct.org/ |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=Government Homoeopathic Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram |language=en-gb}}</ref>
* National Ayush Mission (Kerala)<ref>{{Cite web |last=Kawika |title=National AYUSH Mission is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme under the Ministry of AYUSH. |url=https://www.nam.kerala.gov.in/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20251218080256/https://www.nam.kerala.gov.in/ |archive-date=2025-12-18 |access-date=2026-01-14 |website=nam.kerala.gov.in |url-status=live }}</ref>

=== Autonomous Bodies & Missions ===
* National AYUSH Mission (Kerala)
* Kerala State Ayurveda Co-operative Federation (The Arya Vaidya Pharmacy Co-op)
* Kerala Medicinal Plants Board

=== Major Institutions ===
* [[Government Ayurveda Medical College, Thiruvananthapuram]]
* [[Government Ayurveda Medical College Kannur|Government Ayurveda Medical College, Kannur]]
* Government Homoeopathic Medical Colleges in Kerala

== See also ==

* [[List of government hospitals in Kerala]]
* [[Department of Health and Family Welfare (Kerala)]]
* [[Ministry of Ayush]], Government of India

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

[[Category:Government departments of Kerala]]
[[Category:Ayurveda in Kerala]]

Department of Ayush (Kerala) - Revision history

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