# NCISM says calling AYUSH doctors quacks is illegal 2026-08-07T15:09:48+00:00 | Governance | Indian Opinion Desk Corroboration: 1 independent outlet The National Commission for Indian System of Medicine (NCISM) has issued a circular clarifying that qualified and registered practitioners of India’s recognised systems of traditional medicine cannot legally be described as “quacks” or “bogus doctors” simply because they practise Indian systems of medicine. The regulator said many such practitioners were being subjected to harassment and defamatory public campaigns. The circular dated July 29, 2026, states that doctors holding recognised qualifications such as BAMS, BUMS, BSMS or BSRMS, and registered under the NCISM Act, 2020, are legally recognised medical practitioners. However, the circular does not equate ISM doctors with MBBS doctors or grant them automatic authority to practise modern medicine or prescribe allopathic drugs. ## Coverage - thehindu.com - thehindu.com Tags: AYUSH doctors, medical regulation, NCISM, quackery, traditional medicine Canonical: https://indianopinion.org/ncism-clarifies-ayush-doctors-are-not-quacks-legally-qualified/ License: Summary and commentary (c) Indian Opinion, reusable with attribution. Facts belong to the linked sources. Cite: https://indianopinion.org/ncism-clarifies-ayush-doctors-are-not-quacks-legally-qualified/#story-in-brief Review state: restored archive article, accurate at time of publication, not offered to search indexes.