24 March 2026·PIB

Ministry of Ayush and DBT Announce Collaborative Clinical Study on Ayurveda as Adjunct Therapy for Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment

In this note

1. At a Glance

World's first large clinical trial integrating Ayurveda with standard Anti-Tuberculosis Treatment (ATT), jointly launched by the Ministry of Ayush and Department of Biotechnology (DBT) on World TB Day, 24 March 2026 [1][2].
Aspirant relevance: convergence of AYUSH integration, National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP), evidence-based traditional medicine, and science-led "TB Mukt Bharat" goal — straddles GS-II (health governance) and GS-III (S&T) [2].

Formal announcement of the "Clinical Study on Ayurveda as an Adjunct Therapy for Tuberculosis" by Union MoS (IC) Ayush Shri Prataprao Jadhav and MoS (IC) S&T Dr. Jitendra Singh on 24 March 2026 at a World TB Day event [1][2].

Anchored in the Ayush–DBT MoU signed on 25 May 2022 for evidence-based biotechnological interventions in the AYUSH sector [2].
Predecessor model: AYUSH-64 randomised controlled trial as COVID-19 adjunct (Ayush–CSIR–DBT collaboration, 2020-21) — first validated proof-of-concept for integrative trials [1].
Builds on India's commitment to eliminate TB by 2025 (five years ahead of SDG 3.3 target of 2030) under the National TB Elimination Programme [1].

Title: Clinical Study on Ayurveda as an Adjunct Therapy for Tuberculosis [1].
Lead implementing body: Central Council for Research in Ayurvedic Sciences (CCRAS), an autonomous body under Ministry of Ayush [2].
Partner: DBT via BRIC-National Institute of Immunology (NII) [2].
Sample size: 1,250 newly diagnosed TB patients [2].
Duration: 24 months [2].
Sites: 8 premier institutions including AIIMS, JIPMER, NEIGRIHMS (Shillong) [2].
Primary endpoints: body weight, nutritional outcomes, disease progression, quality of life, safety, tolerability — targeting TB-associated cachexia [2].
Key persons: Prof. Vaidya Rabinarayan Acharya (DG, CCRAS); Dr. Debasisa Mohanty (Director, BRIC-NII) [2].
Parent ministries: Ministry of Ayush (independent ministry since 2014) + DBT (under Ministry of Science & Technology) [1].

Scientific / Technological
Randomised adjunct-therapy design — generates RCT-grade evidence for classical Ayurveda formulations, addressing the chronic critique that AYUSH lacks rigorous clinical validation [1].
Focuses on immunomodulation and nutritional rescue alongside DOTS-based chemotherapy [2].
Social / Health
TB remains a disease of the poor and undernourished; cachexia drives mortality — adjunct nutritional-Ayurveda arm addresses equity dimension [2].
Administrative / Governance
Inter-ministerial convergence (Ayush + S&T) under a 2022 MoU framework — model for integrative public-health R&D [2].
Strategic
Positions India as a global leader in traditional-medicine integration, aligning with WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (Jamnagar, 2022) [1].
Economic
If validated, lowers treatment-failure and relapse costs in NTEP; supports Ayush exports and the Ayush Heal in India push [1].

24 March 2026: Formal launch of the CCRAS-DBT TB-Ayurveda adjunct trial on World TB Day [1][2].
Reaffirmation of "TB Mukt Bharat" integrative strategy by MoS Dr. Jitendra Singh [1].

World TB Day is observed on 24 March (commemorating Robert Koch's 1882 announcement of the TB bacillus) [1].
The TB-Ayurveda adjunct study is led by CCRAS (Ayush) with BRIC-NII (DBT) [2].
BRIC = Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council, the apex DBT body consolidating its autonomous institutes [2].
Ayush–DBT enabling MoU signed on 25 May 2022 [2].
Sample size: 1,250 patients, duration 24 months, 8 sites including AIIMS, JIPMER, NEIGRIHMS [2].
Ministry of Ayush was carved out as an independent ministry in November 2014 (earlier Department under MoHFW since 2003) [1].
DBT functions under the Ministry of Science & Technology, not MoHFW [1].
India's TB-elimination target: 2025 (vs. SDG global target of 2030) [1].
The trial design is adjunct to ATT, not a replacement — a key MCQ distinction [2].
Precursor template: AYUSH-64 trial during COVID-19 [1].

GS-II: Issues relating to development & management of Social Sector — Health. Q: "Evidence-based integration of AYUSH into mainstream public health programmes is essential for India's TB elimination goals. Discuss."
GS-III: Science & Technology — indigenisation, achievements. Q: "Examine the role of inter-ministerial S&T collaborations (Ayush-DBT) in validating traditional Indian medicine."
GS-II (Governance): Q: "Discuss the institutional architecture for promoting traditional medicine in India post-2014."

National TB Elimination Programme (NTEP) — host programme for any TB adjunct intervention.
Ni-kshay Poshan Yojana — DBT-based nutritional support for TB patients (₹1,000/month from Nov 2024).
AYUSH-64 & AYUSH-82 — earlier CCRAS formulations validated through trials.
WHO Global Centre for Traditional Medicine, Jamnagar (2022) — global anchor for integrative medicine.
BRIC (Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council) — restructuring of DBT autonomous institutes.
National AYUSH Mission (NAM) — flagship Centrally Sponsored Scheme.
Pradhan Mantri TB Mukt Bharat Abhiyan (2022) — community engagement (Ni-kshay Mitra).
ICMR's TB research portfolio — for comparison with CCRAS-led study.

Wrong lead body: Study is led by CCRAS (not ICMR, not CCRH which is for Homoeopathy).
Wrong partner institute: DBT side is BRIC-NII, not THSTI or NCDC.
Adjunct ≠ alternative: Ayurveda regimen is added to standard ATT, not substituted for it.
Ministry confusion: DBT sits under Ministry of S&T, not Ministry of Health & Family Welfare.
Target year mix-up: India's TB elimination target is 2025; global SDG target is 2030 — don't conflate.
Ayush ministry year: Independent ministry from 2014, but the Department of ISM&H existed since 1995/AYUSH from 2003.