According to the results of a recent RTI (Right to Information) request, no new ayurveda colleges have been established in Kerala, an Indian state renowned for its rich ayurvedic legacy and promotion of the practice around the world, in the past three years. This information surfaced as worries about the nation’s growing number of Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS) colleges grew. The growth of these colleges is to promote bridging programmes that enable BAMS physicians to engage in some limited allopathy. The decline in interest in the BAMS programme and Kerala’s choice to forgo the establishment of new private ayurvedic colleges, however, have both contributed to this standstill.

Ayurveda Tradition in Kerala and the Response to an RTI

Kerala has long been proud of its ayurvedic history and actively promotes it both home and abroad. The state has not, however, been granted permission to open a new ayurveda college within its limits in the previous three years, according to the RTI answer. The circumstances for the academic years 2020–2021, 2021–2022, and the current year are clarified by this material. Only one college in India was given approval by the National Commission for Indian System of Medicine to start the BAMS degree in 2020–2021. 

In the following academic year (2021–2022), there were 35 colleges, and this year, 47 institutions were given permission to provide BAMS programmes. Notably, Kerala has no new colleges at all, while the majority of these institutions are found in Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Gujarat, and Karnataka.

Causes of the Stagnation

Decision of the State Government

Ayurveda specialists identify two major reasons for Kerala’s dearth of new ayurveda colleges. First off, the state government has chosen not to create any new private Ayurveda colleges since it believes that this industry is stagnating. According to the administration, there are not enough permits available for new colleges because demand has not increased in recent years. As a result, this choice significantly contributed to Kerala’s lack of new ayurveda institutes.

Interest in BAMS Course Is Declining

The second main cause of the stagnation of ayurvedic institutions in Kerala is the waning interest in the BAMS programme. According to recent data, this year, around 60% of the seats in the state’s self-financing ayurveda colleges were unfilled. This reduction in student enrolment, according to Dr. Babu KV, a registered physician from Kerala who submitted the RTI, indicates that the younger generation prefers contemporary care to traditional medicine. The lack of demand for the BAMS degree is a result of the changing interests of aspirant medical professionals, which has furthered the scarcity of new ayurvedic institutions.

New Perspectives and Growing Concerns

The RTI filing took place in the midst of growing concern over the proliferation of BAMS colleges across the nation, primarily as a result of the introduction of bridge courses that permit BAMS doctors to engage in certain limited allopathy. Kerala’s health specialists have provided their perspectives on the state’s need for new private BAMS institutions. The Kerala government and the health university have jointly determined that the demand for new ayurveda colleges has stagnated, according to Dr. Ramanathan, the general secretary of the Ayurvedic Medicine Manufacturers Association of India. As a result, it was decided to postpone the creation of new private ayurveda institutions in the state.