Department of India Systems of Medicine and Homoeopathy (ISM&H) was created by Government of India, under the ministry of Health and Family welfare in March, 1995 and renamed as Department of Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy (AYUSH) in November, 2003 with a view to provide focused attention to development of Education and Research in Ayurveda, Yoga & Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy system. The Directorate continued to lay emphasis on upgradation of AYUSH educational standards, quality control and standardization of drugs, improving the availability of medicinal plant material, research and development and awareness generation about the efficacy of the system domestically and internationally.

Keeping in line with the developments at the Government of India, similar departments or directorates have been established by the state government to execute the AYUSH program. In the case of state of Madhya Pradesh, the directorate of AYUSH has been established under the department of AYUSH. The activities and focus of Department of AYUSH is to promote and mainstream the AYUSH activities in the state.