At first there was the Central Council for Research in Ayurveda & Siddha. Many years later in 1995 the Department of Indian System of Medicine and Homeopathy (ISM&H) was set up. In 2003 it was renamed the Department of Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy (AYUSH). In November 2014 it became the Ministry of AYUSH.

The first system covered is Ayurveda meaning science of life. The National Ayurveda Day is celebrated every year on Dhanvantri Jayanti.

It is a common misconception that Ayurvedic products are always vegetarian. Today, they commonly contain about 50 different animal substances, 52 mineral products and 600 medicinal plant and herbal ingredients.

There was a time when body parts of wild animals ranging from deer horn to fox or crocodile meat were extensively utilised in making Ayurvedic medicines and supplements. After the Government banned their use, they are clandestinely utilised to a lesser extent. They could even be imported.

The Charaka Samhita (the Sanskrit text on Ayurveda) advocates the use of between 150-200 animals. Some of these remedies are: smoke from burning owl feathers, nails and skin for insomnia; owl meat, meat of cat, mongoose and jackal (in the guise of rabbit), snake (disguised as eel), and crow (as partridge) for tuberculosis; and goat meat and blood for excessive blood loos. Meat of lion, bear and tiger (disguised as venison) is also listed as being highly potent. In addition to freshly cut fish, fish oil, eggs, egg shells, deer horns, pigeon blood, partridge meat, goat blood and meat, the following are frequently utilised in Ayurvedic preparations:

Manufacturers of Ayurvedic products need to obtain a licence and get their formulations cleared from the State Drug Controlling Authority. Although they have to list the ingredients on labels, it is not mandatory for them to affix the green veg or brown non-veg symbol on their products. It is therefore advisable for vegetarians to read the long lists of ingredients carefully before consuming. For example, Patanjali Ayurved’s badam pak which falls under the category of an Ayurvedic proprietary medicine and food supplement, has pearl oyster (mytilus margretiferus) listed as an ingredient, but the bottle displays a green veg symbol.  As it is not mandatory to affix the veg/non-veg symbol on proprietary foods, FSSAI for reasons best known to them, have taken no corrective action. It is another matter that in November 2023 the Supreme Court cautioned Patanjali Ayurved against making false and misleading claims in advertisements or face a Rs 1 crore fine on every product.