In a decision that has left many in India’s medical and academic communities deeply unsettled, the Government of India has proposed integrating MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery), the standard degree for physicians trained in modern medicine, with BAMS (Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery), which is rooted in ancient Indian medical traditions. The idea is sold as a push toward ‘holistic’ medicine. But beneath the language of integration lies a troubling reality: the proposal risks undermining scientific rigour, medical safety, and even the very ethos of medical education in India.
The MBBS curriculum is built on the scientific method—anatomy dissected in laboratories, diseases studied through peer-reviewed journals, and treatments honed by clinical trials. BAMS, by contrast, is based on Ayurveda, an ancient Indian system of medicine that relies on concepts like doshas, prana, and dhatus—constructs that are largely metaphysical and often incompatible with modern empirical science.
Copyright©Madras Courier, All Rights Reserved. You may share using our article tools. Please don't cut articles from madrascourier.com and redistribute by email, post to the web, mobile phone or social media.Please send in your feed back and comments to [email protected]
