One Herb, One Standard: Ayush and Health Renew Pact
Why in the news
Two ministries extended their joint One Herb, One Standard programme by three years, continuing work on common standards for herbs used in several medical systems.
Key facts
- One Herb, One Standard (OHOS) is an inter-ministerial framework.
- Partners: Ministry of Ayush and Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
- Renewal period: three more years.
- Phase one (from 2022) delivered 50 single-herb monographs.
| Implementing body | Parent |
|---|---|
| PCIM&H (Pharmacopoeia Commission for Indian Medicine & Homoeopathy) | Ayush ministry |
| IPC (Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission) | Autonomous, under the Health Ministry (MoHFW) |
Aim and features
- Remove clashing quality parameters across different pharmacopoeias.
- Align testing methods for the same plant across the Indian Pharmacopoeia and ASU&H pharmacopoeias.
- Covers plant-origin single drugs of five systems: Ayurveda, Siddha, Sowa-Rigpa, Unani and Homoeopathy.
- Brings in global quality benchmarks to suit trade and regulatory needs.
- Gives laboratories, regulators and manufacturers one reference standard.
Significance
One clear, science-based standard per herb should lift quality, safety and global trust in Indian plant-based products.
Exam angle
- Meaning of monograph here: a standard for quality and testing of a herb.
- IPC sits under MoHFW; PCIM&H sits under Ayush.
- Five recognised systems include Sowa-Rigpa.