The Full Form of AAYUAH is  Ayurvedic, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homeopathy.

The Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (abbreviated as AYUSH) is purposed with developing education, research and propagation of indigenous alternative medicine systems in India. The Ministry is headed by a Minister of State (Independent Charge), which is currently held by Shripad Yesso Naik.

The ministry has faced significant criticism for funding systems that lack biological plausibility and is either untested or conclusively proven as ineffective. Quality of research has been poor, and drugs have been launched without any rigorous pharmacological studies and meaningful clinical trial. Ethical concerns have been raised about various schemes that increasingly compel rural populace into accepting AYUSH based healthcare; average expenditure for drugs has been roughly equivalent to that in evidence-based medicine.

Department of Indian Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) was created in March,1995 and re-named as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November, 2003 with a view to providing Healthcare, Education and Research in Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Homoeopathy, systems. The Dept continued to lay emphasis on improving health care facilities, upgrading AYUSH Educational standards, awareness generation about AYUSH.

The Director of AYUSH is assisted by one Joint Director for Medical Education, three Deputy Director one each for Ayurveda, Unani, & Homoeopathy, & Yoga, an Administrative officer, and an Accounts officer, in the Directorate. The Districts will be headed by District AYUSH officers to implement and monitor the programmers effectively at a regular interval.

In 2014 central ministry for Ayush was formed to ensure the development and propagation of Ayush system of medicines