The
apex court has sought the response of the Centre and various ministries on a
petition, challenging an earlier governmental decision to allow alternative
medicine practitioners to perform surgeries.

The
Mumbai-based Association of Medical Consultants has made the Ayush, Health, Law, and Justice ministries, besides the Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM)
respondents in the case.

The
petitioner argued that the Centre’s decision violates Articles 14 (right to
equality), 19 (Freedom of Speech and Occupation), and 21 (Protection of life and
Personal Liberty) of the Constitution as long as “it enables the Practitioners
of Indian System of Medicine/ Homeopathy/ Alternative Medicines to practice
Allopathy/Modern Medicine and perform Surgeries.”

The CCIM
introduced the Indian Medicine Central Council (Post Graduate Ayurveda
Education) Amendment Regulations on November 20, 2020, authorizing the PG
practitioners in Shalya and Shalakya streams of Ayurveda to undergo training in
performing 39 general surgery procedures and 19 other procedures.

The amendment
legally allowed the PG scholars of the streams to independently perform the
surgeries or procedures after the completion of their degree.

CCIM is the statutorily made-up body under the Ministry of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and
Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, and Homeopathy).