Education in Ayurveda has a rich tradition. It was taught as a scientific subject in the oldest Indian Universities of Takshashila and Nalanda. As mentioned earlier, the subject covered two schools (of physicians and surgeons) and eight specialities.
Standard Ayurveda books on specialities were used in teaching and training the students in Gurukuls. During the British rule education in institutions suffered a rude shock when teaching of Ayurveda was stopped in favour of education of western medicine.
Towards the end of British rule, because of the enthusiastic support the systemreceived from national leaders, its revival started. Separate schools of Ayurvedic education began springing up, first in several princely States and then followed by the State Governments of British India. The Indian National congress in 1920 adopted a resolution which strongly urged to further popularize Ayurvedic schools, colleges and hospitals for promoting its education and practice in India. Following this, Ayurvedic schools and colleges were opened in Varanasi, Madras, Delhi, Bombay, Bengal, Mysore and in some other States of British India. As a result, the number of such institutions which was 15 in 1920 increased to 30 in 1935 and reached a figure of 50 by the time the country achieved its independence.
In 1946, the conference of Health Ministers recommended strongly for starting of schools and colleges for diploma and degree courses. It also recommended for the provision of Ayurvedic post-graduate courses for the graduates of western medicine.
Another landmark in the education field was reached, when in 1946 Chopra Committee directed the educational process towards reaching the goal of achieving integration with western medical education system. Later, in 1949 Pandit Committee further strengthened this recommendation. The Chopra Committee stated " . We have envisaged a scheme of education by which the teaching of Indian medicine should include the essentials of western medicine, particularly in those branches where Indian medicine is deficient and as such bilateral instructions should be given till such time as our ultimate object of integration leading to synthesis is achieved."
By the year 1958 there were 76 institutions teaching Ayurveda. Out of these 49 institutions adopted integrated pattern of education. Around this time the universities in the country started taking note of Ayurvedic institutions and seven integrated institutions were affiliated to universities. The academic control of the remaining teaching institutions was by the State Boards constituted by the State Governments.
With a view to streamline education and to evolve uniform standards for the Indian systems of Medicine, the Government of India set up the Central Council of Indian Medicine through an Act of Parliament the Indian Medicine Central Council Act, 1970. The Education Committee of this Central Council deals with all matters pertaining to education of Ayurveda. It has evolved detailed curriculum for Ayurvedic degree course with the aim of providing graduates of profound scholarship who would be fully competent to serve as physicians and surgeons in the medical and health services of the country. The council has also developed the curriculum contents of the post-graduate course and minimum standards of infrastructure and manpower required for U.G.& P.G teaching institutions.
At present the county has 196 under-graduate colleges in addition to post-graduate teaching and research institutions of Banaras Hindu Univesity, Gujarat Ayurveda University at Jamnagar and National Institute of Ayurveda, Jaipur. About 55 institutions have facilities for post-graduate education in different specialties of Ayurveda. These institutions follow standardized uniform syllabus. The duration of under-graduate course is 5 years including 1 year rotatory Internship after 10+2 Bio-Science (Physics, Chemistry & Biology combination) education and the post graduate (M.D.Ayurveda) course is of further 3 years after graduation.
Admission Procedure
The colleges are following the norms prescribed by CCIM. However, there is no uniform procedure of admission in all the colleges run by various State Governments/NGOs in 18 States. Some of the States are giving admission on the basis of merit i.e. percentage-wise of marks acquired at 10+2 Science Group (Bio-Science with Physics, Chemistry & Biology combination) level. Some of the States are holding separate Admission tests or Entrance tests for Ayurvedic students and selecting on the basis of their performance in the said Entrance test. Some of the State Governments are holding Combined Entrance tests for all the medical Institutions i.e. Allopathy, Ayurveda, Homoeopathy etc. and on the basis of their performance and their choice, students are admitted in Ayurvedic colleges.
Registration Requirements
As per the IMCC Act, 1970, only such persons are eligible for registration to possess the requisite qualifications included in second schedule to IMCC Act, 1970. In other words, BAMS qualification is recognized for getting registration on various State Register of Indian Medicine.
