This is an archive article published on August 18, 2023
‘India can provide leadership because we have science, qualification and regulatory support for traditional medicine’
'To help GCTM visualise WHO’s vision, there is an advisory group of scientists and experts, representing all regions (of WHO). This advisory group has chartered the goals and functions of GCTM.'
‘India can provide leadership because we have science, qualification and regulatory support for traditional medicine’
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Secretary (AYUSH) Rajesh Kotecha speaks to Sohini Ghosh on the sidelines of WHO Traditional Medicine Summit in Gandhinagar on the idea behind the summit and its impact.
In the over one year since the ground-breaking ceremony of WHO’s Global Centre for Traditional Medicine (GCTM) at Jamnagar, what has been the development so far?
To help GCTM visualise WHO’s vision, there is an advisory group of scientists and experts, representing all regions (of WHO). This advisory group has chartered the goals and functions of GCTM. Like there is a vertical for global survey on traditional medicine, there is a vertical for data governance and a vertical for optimising human resources in traditional medicine. For each of these verticals, charters have been established, like a roadmap. On the logistics side, an interim office has been established at Jamnagar, and we have started construction of the main building. Advertisements have been issued for seven key director-level positions, and we are in the final stage of recruitment for these positions.
What was the idea behind the WHO Traditional Medicine Summit this year after the Global Ayush Investment and Innovation Summit (GAIIS) last year?
This conference is a follow up of PM’s discussion with the DG (director general of WHO Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus when they met in Jamnagar last April)… the PM had suggested that WHO should think about a global summit for traditional medicine once every two years, beginning with India. This is the first time WHO is organising such a large scale summit on traditional medicine and it will now happen every two years in every region of WHO. GAIIS was a ministry of Ayush event.
While GCTM is aimed as being a knowledge centre for global practices of traditional medicine, why are Indian traditional medicine practices at the forefront?
It is because the centre is situated in India and our media has been focusing on AYUSH only but it is a global traditional medicine centre, representing all regions. AYUSH is getting a better push but we are taking this opportunity to prove that we, India, are the leaders and can provide the leadership because we have the science, the qualification and regulatory support (for traditional medicine)… all these are available in India, not elsewhere.
What kind of international interest has GCTM received?
We have received interest from all over the world. We have formed an informal group called ‘group of friends of traditional medicine’ in Geneva (in May) for coordination and we got immediate support from over 27 countries. The Union government has pledged financial and other support to GCTM for the next 10 years… other countries, too, are providing support in the form of human resources and their expertise, among others.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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