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Influence of Western Systems of Education on Urban India

‘Alternative’ healthcare, as the term suggests, is labelled so in clear opposition to the scientif-
ic, allopathic methods which are believed to be more mainstream and reliable. Ironically
enough, this tends to suggest that allopathy is the more ‘traditional’ form of medicine in
comparison to these ‘alternatives’, under which ISMs are included, most of which have been
part of India’s history and heritage for centuries. These nuanced messages, amongst many
others in our everyday references, condition the urban Indian’s perceptions of the role of ISM
in their healthcare. The average urban Indian is schooled using British methods of schooling
which makes it difficult to comprehend or trust in the indegenous systems of knowledge that
ISMs like Ayurveda and Yoga are based on. The lack of integration of ISM into allopathic
medical schools builds distrust in ISM amongst their practitioners. ISM institutions are run
using mostly theoretical, Westernised systems of education, while most ISM principles require
a more hands-on approach to learning.With recent efforts to make ISM practices such as
Yoga and Ayurveda more accessible, there are genuine concerns on the part of practitioners
and users about how standardisation and Western-influenced methods of industrial-scale
production of ISM medicines and practices could be leading to the loss of certain essential
values of these practices. The internet plays a major role in the way that ISM is perceived as
well, with many indigenous health practices making a comeback to India in recent decades,
through their Westernised interpretations on these online platforms.