Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Dr. Mohan Yadav on Friday, 22 May 2026, conducted a departmental review of the state's AYUSH Department, discussing its activities and progress with senior officials and issuing a series of directives to expand traditional medicine infrastructure across the state.

Context

Posting on X, Dr. Yadav stated: 'Aaj vibhagiya samiksha ke kram mein Ayush vibhag ki gatividhiyon va pragati par charcha kar jankari li' ['Today, in the course of the departmental review, I gathered information by discussing the activities and progress of the AYUSH Department']. He emphasised that 'promotion of medical systems rooted in Indian tradition is essential' and directed officials to link citizens benefiting from Ayurvedic treatment with incentive programmes.

The review is part of routine departmental monitoring under the state's implementation of the National AYUSH Mission, the centrally sponsored scheme launched in 2014 to mainstream traditional medicine systems through infrastructure and manpower development.

Policy Backdrop

The National AYUSH Mission has driven consistent expansion of Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy education and service delivery since its launch, with states including Madhya Pradesh upgrading colleges and creating research facilities in alignment with the Union Ministry of AYUSH's priorities. Successive BJP governments in the state have maintained this orientation, integrating traditional medicine more closely with public health delivery.

Dr. Yadav directed that all 9 AYUSH colleges in the state be developed as First Referral Units, that hostels be constructed on their campuses, and that seat capacity at each be raised to 100. He further ordered the establishment of pharmacy departments in 7 AYUSH colleges and directed that the Unani curriculum be made available in Hindi — a move aimed at widening access for students whose primary language is not English or Urdu.

Stakeholders and Impact

The directives directly affect AYUSH students across Madhya Pradesh, traditional medicine practitioners, and rural patients who rely on government AYUSH facilities. Raising seat capacity to 100 per college and adding hostel infrastructure is expected to improve enrolment and retention, particularly for students from districts with limited access to urban centres.

Citizens already using Ayurvedic treatment under state programmes are to be brought into incentive schemes, potentially broadening the patient base for government AYUSH services. The Balaghat AYUSH Research Centre — located in the eastern Balaghat district — was specifically directed to begin operations, signalling an intent to decentralise research activity beyond the state capital.

What's Next

Observers will track the physical progress of hostel construction, pharmacy department establishment, and seat-capacity increases across the 9 AYUSH colleges during the 2026-27 financial year. The allocation of sanctioned staff and budget to the Balaghat AYUSH Research Centre in the upcoming state assembly session will be a key indicator of how quickly these directives translate into on-ground change.

If implemented fully, the upgrades would position Madhya Pradesh as one of the more comprehensively equipped states for AYUSH education and research under the national mission framework, with broader implications for how traditional medicine is integrated into the state's public health architecture.