Dr. Jugal Kishore, Padma Shri
Homeopathic Physician & Pioneer of Institutional Homoeopathy
A young student once asked him, “Sir, you were preparing for the Indian Civil Service. Why did you give that up to become a homeopath?”
Dr. Jugal Kishore smiled and replied, “I fell seriously ill and was bedridden for more than a year. Homoeopathy cured me when nothing else seemed to help. That experience convinced me this was my true calling. I realised I could serve people better by healing them than by sitting in an administrative office.”
That personal turning point shaped a lifetime dedicated to homoeopathy in India.
Jugal Kishore was born in 1915 in British India. A brilliant student, he graduated from Foreman Christian College, Lahore (Punjab University), topping his class and winning merit scholarships. He was preparing for the Indian Civil Service examinations when a prolonged illness left him bedridden for over a year. During recovery he came across a homoeopathic book, treated himself successfully, and developed deep faith in the system. Against the wishes of family and friends, he decided to study homoeopathy and graduated from the Calcutta Homoeopathic College, West Bengal.
He began his practice in June 1945 from a modest clinic at 12/40 Connaught Circus in New Delhi — recognised as one of the first government-recognised homoeopathic clinics run by a fully qualified practitioner. The clinic later moved to larger premises and eventually to Golf Links, where it continues under the care of his son, Dr. Arvind Kishore.
Over a career spanning more than 65 years, Dr. Jugal Kishore served as Honorary Physician to the President of India for four terms and as Honorary Homoeopathic Adviser to the Government of India. He was Chairman of the Homoeopathic Pharmacopoeia Committee of India and the first Director of Nehru Homoeopathic Medical College and Hospital, New Delhi (a Government of Delhi institution). He also served as President of the Asian Homoeopathic Medical League and held positions in the International Homoeopathic Medical Organization (Geneva) and the Central Council of Homoeopathy.
He is remembered for creating the Kishore Cards — an innovative punch-card system for repertorial analysis — and for authoring important books such as Evolution of Repertories & Repertorization, Kishore Card Repertory, and Integrated Homoeopathic Repertory – Mind. He also proved several new remedies and contributed significantly to the development of homoeopathic education, research, and quality medicine manufacturing in India.
The Government of India awarded him the Padma Shri in 2012 for his contributions to medicine (homoeopathy). The award was announced just two days after his death on 23 January 2012 in New Delhi at the age of 96–97. He had been informed of the selection shortly before passing and was reportedly very happy at the recognition.
Dr. Jugal Kishore was married to Sharda (who predeceased him in 1978) and is survived by two sons. His clinic and the institutions he helped build continue to serve patients and students.
“Homoeopathy is gentle, effective and free from harmful side-effects,” he often said. “If we practise it with sincerity and scientific rigour, it can bring relief to millions.”
From a near-career in the civil services to becoming one of India’s most respected homeopaths, serving as physician to the President, founding a major medical college, and receiving the Padma Shri, Dr. Jugal Kishore left a lasting imprint on the growth and institutionalisation of homoeopathy in independent India.
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