AYUSH & India – Malaysia Relations

1. Discuss the significance of the recent Union Budget proposals for AYUSH in strengthening India’s traditional healthcare systems and preventive healthcare framework.

IN NEWS: How will budget boosts, EU access remake AYUSH beyond India? | Explained

AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy) plays a key role in India’s holistic healthcare system by emphasizing preventive, promotive and wellness-based approaches. Recent Union Budget proposals aim to integrate traditional medicine with modern healthcare, boost research, and expand accessibility.

Significance of Budget Proposals

1. Strengthening Preventive Healthcare

• Focus on wellness-based healthcare reduces burden on curative systems.
• Promotion of yoga, lifestyle management and herbal interventions helps tackle non-communicable diseases (NCDs).
• Supports shift from “sick-care” to “preventive-care” model.

2. Integration with Public Health System

• Mainstreaming AYUSH services in primary healthcare through Ayushman Bharat and Health & Wellness Centres.
• Enhances accessibility, especially in rural and underserved areas.
• Encourages a pluralistic healthcare system.

3. Boost to Research and Evidence-Based Practices

• Funding for clinical research, pharmacology and standardization of traditional medicine.
• Promotes scientific validation and global acceptance.
• Encourages collaboration between AYUSH and modern medical institutions.

4. Digitalisation and Innovation

• Digital health platforms and telemedicine for AYUSH consultations.
• Creation of databases for medicinal plants and traditional knowledge.
• Improves service delivery and monitoring.

5. Promotion of Medicinal Plant Cultivation

• Supports farmers through herbal value chains and agro-economy.
• Reduces import dependence on raw materials.
• Enhances rural livelihoods and biodiversity conservation.

6. Global Outreach and Medical Tourism

• Positioning India as a global hub for traditional wellness therapies.
• Boosts soft power and economic opportunities through AYUSH exports.

7. Capacity Building and Skill Development

• Expansion of AYUSH education institutions and training programs.
• Strengthening workforce for preventive and integrative healthcare.

Challenges

• Need for stronger scientific evidence and standardization.
• Regulatory issues and quality control of herbal products.
• Integration challenges between AYUSH and allopathic systems.
• Awareness gaps and uneven infrastructure.

The Union Budget’s focus on AYUSH strengthens India’s traditional healthcare systems by promoting preventive care, research, accessibility and economic growth. Effective implementation and evidence-based integration can transform AYUSH into a cornerstone of sustainable and holistic healthcare.

Source:https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/science/how-will-budget-boosts-eu-access-remake-ayush-beyond-india-explained/article70587863.ece

2. India’s Act East Policy is increasingly reflected in its deepening strategic partnerships in Southeast Asia. Discuss in the context of the outcomes of the recent India–Malaysia agreements.

IN NEWS: List of Outcomes: Official visit of the Prime Minister to Malaysia

India’s Act East Policy seeks to strengthen political, economic, strategic, and cultural engagement with Southeast Asia while reinforcing India’s role in the Indo-Pacific. The recent India–Malaysia agreements highlight the transition from limited bilateral engagement to a comprehensive strategic partnership.

Strategic and Security Cooperation

• Agreements on security cooperation, combating corruption, and extension of cooperation in UN peacekeeping demonstrate alignment on global governance and regional security.
• Collaboration between National Security Councils enhances counter-terrorism coordination and intelligence sharing.
• Disaster management cooperation strengthens humanitarian assistance and disaster relief (HADR) capabilities, vital for climate-vulnerable Indo-Pacific regions.

Defence and Geopolitical Significance

• Enhanced security cooperation supports maritime stability in the Strait of Malacca, a critical global trade chokepoint.
• Strengthens India’s engagement with ASEAN members amid evolving geopolitical competition in the Indo-Pacific.
• Reinforces ASEAN centrality, a key pillar of India’s Act East policy.

Economic, Technology and Supply Chain Cooperation

• Semiconductor cooperation contributes to supply chain diversification and technological resilience.
• Cross-border payment integration (NIPL–PAYNET) promotes digital trade and financial connectivity.
• Vocational education and training (TVET) supports skill mobility and workforce development.
• CEO Forum outcomes enhance private sector participation and investment flows.

Social Welfare and Diaspora Engagement

• ESIC–PERKESO agreement ensures social security benefits for Indian workers, reflecting diaspora-centric diplomacy.
• Cooperation in health and medicine expands healthcare partnerships and knowledge exchange.

Cultural and Soft Power Diplomacy

• Establishment of Thiruvalluvar Centre, scholarships, and audio-visual co-production agreement promote cultural diplomacy and people-to-people connectivity.
• Ayurveda academic collaboration enhances India’s traditional knowledge outreach.

Environmental and Global Initiatives

• Framework agreement on International Big Cats Alliance (IBCA) highlights cooperation in biodiversity conservation and global environmental leadership.

The outcomes signify a shift from transactional cooperation to a multidimensional strategic partnership, reinforcing India’s Act East Policy through security collaboration, economic integration, technological cooperation, and cultural diplomacy, thereby strengthening India’s influence in Southeast Asia and the Indo-Pacific.

Source: https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2225060&reg=3&lang=1