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Ahead of the July 31 deadline, the Banaras Hindu University (BHU) faculty and ayurvedic industry leaders have submitted a comprehensive charter of recommendations on the draft National Pharmacy Commission (NPC) Bill, 2026 to the union ministry of health and family welfare.
Formulated under the leadership of Prof. Anand K Chaudhary, HoD of Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana at BHU, the submission outlines crucial legislative adjustments needed to integrate Indian Systems of Medicine into India's new pharmacy regulatory framework.
A central demand of the BHU proposal is the establishment of a standardized regulatory framework and mandatory accreditation for all ayurvedic pharmacy colleges. The experts highlighted that universities across India currently operate under divergent curricula and academic standards due to the absence of a uniform statutory mechanism. To resolve this fragmentation, the ayurvedic fraternity has called for clear minimum infrastructural standards, periodic inspections, and the inclusion of qualified ayurvedic pharmacists from all states and union territories in the proposed National Pharmacy Register.
Addressing evaluation and licensing mechanisms, the submission advocates for a specialized two-phase structure for the proposed National Exit Test. While phase I would cater to modern B.Pharm. graduates, phase II would focus exclusively on ayurvedic pharmaceutical competencies, assessing knowledge in core subjects such as Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana, Dravyaguna, and traditional drug standardization.
Further, the community urged the central government to replace state-level entrance variations with a uniform National Common Entrance Examination conducted by the National Testing Agency.
The proposal also emphasizes strict criteria for industry participation in the governing commission to maintain high technical standards. Dr. Chaudhary and fellow experts recommended that industry representatives appointed to the Commission should strictly belong to World Health Organization Good Manufacturing Practices certified ayurvedic companies. This ensures that regulatory governance benefits from proven technical expertise in manufacturing quality assurance, modern analytical research, and global compliance standards.
To overcome practical bottlenecks in leadership eligibility, the group requested a revision of the criteria for senior administrative appointments. Current requirements demanding 15 to 20 years of post-graduate experience are difficult to fulfill because M.Pharm Ayurveda programmes were introduced only recently. The submission suggests recognizing professionals holding an M.D Ayurveda in Rasa Shastra and Bhaishajya Kalpana as qualified experts, given their extensive postgraduate training in ayurvedic pharmaceutics and drug standardization.
On institutional governance, the submission insists on equitable representation among premier traditional medicine centres across the country. Rather than assigning permanent representation to a single institution, the recommendations call for a rotational system involving top central institutions. This model would grant equal policy-making participation to Banaras Hindu University, the All India Institute of Ayurveda in New Delhi, the National Institute of Ayurveda in Jaipur, and the Institute of Teaching and Research in Ayurveda in Jamnagar.
Finally, the Ayurveda community urged the Ministry to establish a flagship centre of excellence dedicated to research and education in traditional drug development. The proposed National Institute of Ayurvedic Pharmaceutical Education and Research, modelled after national NIPER and AIIA institutes, would serve as an apex body for advanced research, funding, and global validation of Ayurvedic products. Stakeholders remain optimistic that these recommendations will ensure a future-ready regulatory ecosystem that empowers traditional pharmaceutical sciences, says Dr Chaudhary.
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