Hypnosis, Reiki may get ‘legal seal’Aloke TikkuNew Delhi, November 22, 2006

http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/181_1850397,00500005.htm

In a move likely to face opposition from practitioners of alternative medicine, the government is considering a law to recognise new systems of medicine.The Union health ministry has finalised a draft legislation to address issues relating to the recognition of new systems of medicine—like Reiki, electro-homoeopathy and reflexology—and penalise unauthorised practices and those illegally teaching these systems.The draft Bill—on the drawing board since last year—is expected to come up for the Union Cabinet's approval on Thursday. The Supreme Court had earlier asked the government to regulate such systems and therapies, which were not recognised by the government. The recognition will come only if alternative medicines meet the basic criteria.The health ministry had set up a group of experts in 2002-03 to report on the efficacy and merits of various streams of alternative medicines. Most of the new-age health systems had failed to pass the test.The committee did not recommend recognition of any of the alternative systems, barring the traditional ones like Ayurveda, Siddha, Unani, Homeopathy and Yoga and Naturopathy, which were already recognised and were found to fulfill the essential and desirable criteria developed by the committee to recognise a system of medicine.The committee recommended that certain practices such as Acupuncture and Hypnotherapy, which qualified as modes of therapy, could be allowed to be practised by registered practitioners or trained personnel.