New Delhi, August 7

Alleging that all kinds of chemicals were being used in products being sold as “ayurvedic” or “herbal”, a PIL in the Supreme Court has sought directions to the Centre to establish parameters to be followed by companies selling such goods.

Petitioner Shailendra Mani Tripathi demanded that the government should set up an Ayush TV channel and use social media platforms to take naturopathy, yoga and meditation to the masses. Seeking an enhancement of the budget for Ayush, he said the court should direct the

government to establish separate branches of meditation and shathkarma and research institutes under Ayush.

The petition came four days after the SC said doctors, both allopathic and Ayush, rendered services to patients and there was “no rational justification” for having different dates for giving benefit of extended age of superannuation to them.

“In our understanding, the mode of treatment by itself under the prevalent scheme of things, does not qualify as an intelligible differentia. Therefore, such unreasonable classification and discrimination based on it would surely be inconsistent with Article 14 (equality before law) of the Constitution,” the top court had said.— TNS