Current status

In the early 20th century, Ayurvedic physicians began to organize into professional associations and to promote their case for national recognition and funding. This began to become a reality after Indian independence in 1947. Ayurveda is now a statutory, recognised medical system of health care in India. The Central Council of Indian Medicine (CCIM) governs and recommends policies for the research and development of the system. An Encyclopedia on Ayurveda - Ayushveda.com has been developed to promote the knowledge of Ayurveda worldwide. Elsewhere in the world, ayurveda is an alternative medicine.

In India, practitioners in Ayurveda undergo five and a half years of training including a year of internship in select Ayurveda medical schools wherein they earn the professional doctorate degree of Bachelor of Ayurvedic Medicine and Surgery (BAMS). A Bachelor's degree with a major in Science [Physics, Chemistry, Biology] and a minor in Sanskrit is desirable for candidates interested in taking up the course. Select institutions like the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, offer higher doctorates and postgraduate training such as MD (Ayurveda) which includes a three-year residency and a dissertation similar to the MD or MS degrees in modern systems of western medicine.

Approximately 80% of the world population uses traditional medicine as their primary health care.