On Monday, the Delhi High Court rejected a petition filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay, wherein he had sought court directives to incorporate Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy treatments into the Ayushman Bharat scheme.

The plea filed by BJP leader Ashwini Upadhyay seeking the inclusion of Ayurveda, Yoga, and Naturopathy treatments in the Ayushman Bharat scheme was dismissed by a Division Bench consisting of Acting Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Manmeet Pritam Singh Arora. The dismissal was based on the grounds of non-prosecution.

During today's hearing, the Court initially deferred the case as neither party had legal representation. In the subsequent session, with no appearance from either side once again, the Court opted to dismiss the matter.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme, initiated by the Central Government in 2018, aims to offer health coverage to Economically Weaker Sections (EWS) and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme comprises two primary components: the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and the Health and Wellness Centres. PMJAY offers health coverage amounting to ₹5 lakh per family per year. Ashwini Upadhyay contended that PMJAY exclusively includes allopathy hospitals and dispensaries, leaving out "indigenous medical systems" such as Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy from its coverage.

The Ayushman Bharat scheme is structured with two main components: the Pradhan Mantri Jan Arogya Yojana (PMJAY) and the Health and Wellness Centres. PMJAY provides health coverage of ₹5 lakh per family per year. Ashwini Upadhyay argued that PMJAY's coverage is limited to allopathy hospitals and dispensaries, neglecting "indigenous medical systems" like Ayurveda, Yoga, Naturopathy, Siddha, Unani, and Homeopathy.

The argument put forth asserted that in India, over 90% of doctors trained in Indian medical practices operate their private clinics and hospitals. The contention was that the exclusion of Ayurveda and other Indian medical practices from the Ayushman Bharat scheme infringes upon the fundamental rights of these doctors.

Upadhyay argued that the inclusion of Ayurveda in the Ayushman Bharat scheme would enable a substantial segment of the country's population to access affordable healthcare benefits and wellness services for various serious diseases at lower rates, without any compromise on safety. Additionally, he contended that such inclusion would generate employment opportunities for thousands of people in the field of Ayurveda.