- Why in news
- On 20 March 2026, the Minister of State for Ayush told the Lok Sabha how the National Medicinal Plants Board's Central Sector Scheme supports conservation and farmer linkages, with state-wise project and fund data.
- What it is
- The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB) under the Ministry of Ayush runs a Central Sector Scheme for conservation, development and sustainable management of medicinal plants. It gives project-based support to conserve plants in the wild and in gardens, and to link growers and forest communities to markets.
- Implementing body
- The scheme is run by the National Medicinal Plants Board under the Ministry of Ayush, as a Central Sector Scheme across the country.
- In-situ conservation tool
- In-situ conservation is done by developing Medicinal Plants Conservation and Development Areas (MPCDAs).
- Ex-situ conservation tool
- Ex-situ conservation is done by setting up herbal gardens.
- e-CHARAK
- NMPB launched the e-CHARAK app and web portal for price transparency and market access. It gives fortnightly prices of 100 medicinal plants from 25 herbal markets.
Don’t confuse with Central Sector vs Centrally Sponsored: NMPB's conservation scheme is Central Sector, funded fully by the Centre. National Ayush Mission is Centrally Sponsored, with costs shared with states.
Don’t confuse with In-situ vs ex-situ: In-situ conserves plants in their natural habitat, such as MPCDAs. Ex-situ conserves them outside it, such as herbal gardens.
Schemes: 52 Prelims questions since 2013, 10 in Prelims 2026 alone. They test features, the period and who funds it. In Mains, 33 news-triggered questions, mostly GS3.
Why it matters
- Conserves rare and endangered medicinal plants, supporting biodiversity and the Ayush sector's raw material base.
- Links forest-fringe communities and farmers to markets, creating livelihoods.
Problems
- Cultivation is outside the Central Sector Scheme, so support is split across schemes and projects.
- Support is project-based, so fund release varies widely across states.
Way forward
- Strengthen quality planting material, post-harvest and testing infrastructure through supply-chain projects.
- Expand digital price platforms like e-CHARAK among farmers and community bodies.
Put in your answer
e-CHARAK platform: A digital platform for price information and trade of medicinal plants, giving fortnightly prices of 100 plants from 25 markets.
Community linkages: The scheme supports JFMCs, Panchayats, Van Panchayats, BMCs and SHGs for local value addition and livelihoods.
- 2019Mains GS3 · Q15How India protects traditional medicine knowledge from pharmaceutical patenting
- 2015Mains GS3 · Q14Pros and cons of open-sourcing TKDL medicinal formulations database
- 2018Mains GS3 · Q17Biodiversity variation in India and Biological Diversity Act's role in conservation
- 2017Prelims Q6Statements on TRAFFIC's status under UNEP and its mission on wild plant trade
UPSC’s own questions that come close to this issue, from our Prelims and Mains banks.
No practice question for this one; the card may still help an answer. Why: Central Sector Scheme with MPCDAs and in-situ and ex-situ conservation. Lasting topic, but UPSC rarely asks it.
Worth revising until Prelims 2027: most news questions come within two years of the event.