Madhya Pradesh Introduces Hindi BUMS Textbooks

Madhya Pradesh has become the first state in India to introduce Bachelor of Unani Medicine and Surgery (BUMS) textbooks in Hindi. This move is aimed at making Unani medical education more accessible to students without an Urdu background.

The initiative comes after a growing number of non-Urdu-speaking students opted for the BUMS course at the state's only Government Unani Medical College in Bhopal. In the 2025-26 academic session, 15 non-Urdu-speaking students secured admission out of the total 75 seats.

Earlier, BUMS textbooks were only available in Urdu, which posed a challenge for students without an Urdu background. The state government has decided to translate these textbooks into Hindi from the current academic session to help students study more effectively.

Officials from the AYUSH Department believe that this move will also improve representation from Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBC) in Unani medical education. Many Unani doctor posts remain vacant due to a lack of eligible candidates from these categories.

The increase in admissions of non-Urdu-speaking students follows a change in the Central Government's admission rules introduced after the 2022-23 academic session. Under the revised norms, studying Urdu in Class 10 is no longer mandatory for admission to the Unani medical course.

Madhya Pradesh has only one government Unani medical college, located in Bhopal, with 75 undergraduate seats. The state also has three private Unani colleges in Indore, Dewas, and Burhanpur, offering a combined total of 152 seats.

Unani medicine is one of the oldest systems of medicine in the world, originating in ancient Greece around 2,500 years ago. It later developed in Persia and the Arab world before reaching India around the 11th and 12th centuries.

The system is recognized by the Government of India and is based on maintaining the balance of four bodily humours: blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. Treatment mainly includes diet, medicines, massage, exercise, and steam therapy.

This move by the Madhya Pradesh government is expected to increase accessibility and representation in Unani medical education, and it may have a positive impact on the healthcare sector in the state.

The introduction of Hindi textbooks for BUMS students is a significant step towards making Unani medical education more inclusive and accessible to students from diverse backgrounds. It may also encourage more students to pursue a career in Unani medicine, which could lead to an increase in the number of Unani doctors in the state.

In conclusion, the introduction of Hindi BUMS textbooks in Madhya Pradesh is a welcome move that aims to increase accessibility and representation in Unani medical education. It is expected to have a positive impact on the healthcare sector in the state and may encourage more students to pursue a career in Unani medicine.