Latest news with #Janaushadhi
India Gazette
09-07-2025
- Business
- India Gazette
Delegation-level talks covered wide gamut of issues...critical minerals: MEA on PM Modi's visit to Namibia
Windhoek [Namibia], July 10 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs on Wednesday highlighted that during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Namibia, delegation-level talks covered a wide range of issues, with a significant focus on critical minerals. The discussions aimed to strengthen bilateral ties and explore opportunities for cooperation in various sectors Secretary (East), Dammu Ravi, during the MEA briefing said, 'The delegation-level talks covered a wide gamut of issues, and both sides had the opportunity also to expand the existing cooperation. The bilateral relationship, as you know, is underpinned by trade and economic interest ... investments on both sides.' India and Namibia discussed potential partnerships in the critical mineral sector, including a proposed Critical Mineral Partnership Agreement. Namibia's rich deposits of uranium, copper, cobalt, and rare earths make it an attractive partner for India. Emphasising the upward trajectory of bilateral trade, he noted, 'The trade is about $600 million in favor of India, marginally, and investments from India are about $800 million, and the cooperation that we discussed was in the area of natural resources, because as you know that Namibia is endowed with rich natural resources like diamonds, lithium, copper, cobalt, graphite, all of these rich critical minerals are useful for our industry.' 'I mean that defense or critical minerals are some of the areas that were discussed. In defense, Namibia is interested in procurement of equipment from India. And we offered them a line of credit, especially for the defense. We have one for civil also,' said India's High Commissioner to Namibia, Rahul Shrivastava, who participated in the briefing. Other avenues of collaboration discussed included health, capacity building, and the agri sector. 'The cooperation in the area of health was discussed, which also included the possibility of Janaushadhi being introduced in Namibia, also supply of medicines and direct sourcing from India. The cooperation in the area of agriculture was another item that came up in the discussions, and there again, as Namibia has huge land tracts, there is a possibility of India supporting with equipment, machinery, and able to grow food crops for the food security of Namibia,' said Dammu Ravi. Congratulating Namibia on electing its first woman president, Ravi said, 'This visit is taking place after 27 years by Prime Minister of India, and it is also the time when the President of Namibia has just assumed her office in March this year after a landslide victory, which means that there will be continuity in our relationship, and it will facilitate further deepening of the relationship.' Defence cooperation, another area that came up for discussion, and most importantly, in the digital public infrastructure. 'Namibia is the first country in the world where NPCI, National Payment Corporation of India, and the Namibian Central Bank have entered into an agreement, a licensing agreement to deployment of UPI in Namibia for real-time payments. And this is a significant development. We believe that this will open up new avenues for cooperation in the digital space between our two countries,' said Secretary (East). There were several announcements today regarding the agreements. The Memoranda of Understanding relate to the establishment of the Entrepreneurship Centre in Namibia and cooperation in the health sector. There were three announcements made, one relating to the UPI, or Unified Payment Interface. The second one is Namibia joining the Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure, and Namibia also joining the Global Biofuel Alliance. 'These are the narratives of the Global South, and it's a very important cooperation that will emerge out of this. Particularly in the case of CDRI is countries affected by these natural disasters, either it is floods or drought or even pandemics, how we can, both countries can cooperate. I think in recent times India has been very active in reaching out to our partner countries in providing these relief materials,' said Ravi. 'In the same light, I see the Global Biofuel Alliance as well, because alternatives to the oil, gas has to be formed. And this is a very good initiative India has successfully introduced, which is able to also save your own hard currency that countries would need to import. But this technology India has now very well experimented and successfully using in our country and in the Global South, through this Biofuel Alliance, will be able to reach out to them and introduce this technology,' he added. But that's a part we should be able to also look at early warning systems and how quickly both countries can respond to natural crises that may arise in this part of the world. Because you also know that climate change is affecting our nations very, very differently, and most countries in the Global South are vulnerable because of the climate change. So, we have to cooperate even stronger on it. 'Capacity building is another ongoing area. ITEC scholarship has been extensively used by Namibian experts, both defense and civilian, and here again, we have both sides discussed to expand this possibility of enhancing the cooperation and capacity building,' he added. Both sides also touched upon the multilateral issues. There was condemnation of terrorism in all its manifestations, including the Pahalgam terrorist attack, when Namibia expressed solidarity for India. There was also talk about reforming of the multilateral institutions, and there was a clear understanding by both the leaders that it's very important that multilateralism is strengthened for the South-South cooperation, and both sides to be able to find solutions for the challenges that the countries in the Global South are facing. PM Modi also received Namibia's highest civilian award- the Order of the Most Ancient Welwitschia Mirabilis, during his visit to the country. This makes it the 27th award for PM Modi and the 4th award in this ongoing tour. (ANI)
Hans India
09-07-2025
- Health
- Hans India
HC stays State Government's order to suspend Janaushadhi centres in government hospitals
Bengaluru: The Karnataka High Court has issued a stay on the state government's order to suspend Janaushadhi centers located within government hospital premises. The government had previously directed these centers to cease operations, a move that sparked widespread protests. In response, 16 petitioners approached the High Court challenging this decision. Today, during hearing before Justice MI Arun, the court temporarily ordered that the Janaushadhi centers remain open until further notice, preventing their suspension for the time being. The petitioners argued that setting up Janaushadhi centers involves significant expenditure to provide basic healthcare facilities. They also emphasized that these centers offer medicines at highly discounted rates, ranging from 50% to 90%, which greatly benefits the common people. The petitioners' lawyers contended that the government's order to shut down these centers infringes on the fundamental right of access to affordable medicines. The High Court, hearing these arguments, issued the interim order to keep the centers operational until the next hearing. It is noteworthy that the government's order was limited to suspending Janaushadhi centers within government hospital premises under the jurisdiction of the State Health Department. The order had already been implemented at the district level, leading to the closure of these centers in various government hospitals. This decision faced strong opposition from the public and opposition parties, including the BJP, who argued that shutting down these centers, especially those providing medicines at low cost to the poor, was unjustified. There were calls for the government to withdraw its order. Additionally, the government has prohibited doctors in government hospitals from advising patients to purchase branded medicines externally. This policy aims to prevent hospitals from recommending or facilitating the purchase of medicines outside the hospital premises, aligning with the government's healthcare strategy. The Indian Pharmaceutical Industry (IPI) oversees Janaushadhi centers, and the government had previously instructed the Department of Health to take necessary actions to suspend centers operating in government hospitals, following contractual regulations. The department was also directed not to approve applications from 31 centers currently under review. However, the High Court has now intervened to halt these actions. This development indicates ongoing legal hurdles to the Karnataka government's efforts to regulate and potentially shut down Janaushadhi centers within government medical facilities.
India Today
02-07-2025
- Health
- India Today
Same pills, smaller bills: Janaushadhi means savings
As Bihar moves closer to state elections, a strategic shift is underway in its rural healthcare approach, merging policy rollout with political March, the Centre announced that Primary Agricultural Credit Societies across India would operate Janaushadhi Kendras to expand access to affordable generic medicines. Bihar has now joined the ahead of the elections, the Muzaffarpur district administration selected seven PACS to open Janaushadhi outlets in its first phase, with one already licensed and six more in the These centres will make World Health Organisation-certified generic medicines available at prices 50–80 per cent lower than branded alternatives, making essential healthcare more affordable for rural of March 2025, more than 2,300 PACS across 34 states and Union Territories had been approved to operate Janaushadhi Kendras, raising key questions: how evenly are these centres distributed across India, and how much can people save?More kendras, more savingsAs of February 2025, the number of Janaushadhi Kendras operating across the country stood at 16,489, more than doubling from 6,306 outlets in 2019– consistent growth in presence has also led to a sharp rise in sales and consumer savings. In 2019–20, the scheme reported sales of Rs 433.61 crore with citizen savings estimated at Rs 2,500 crore. The following year, 2020–21, saw the number of kendras grow to 7,557, sales jump to Rs 665.83 crore, and estimated savings touch Rs 4,000 crore according to the Janaushadhi annual upward trend continued in 2021–22, with 8,610 kendras and Rs 5,400 crore in savings. By 2023–24, the number of centres increased to 12,616, through which people saved Rs 7,350 of the PriceMedicines that typically cost hundreds or thousands are available at a fraction of the price under the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana. A price comparison across ten commonly used medicines and medical items shows just how significant the savings can instance, Glibenclamide, a common diabetes drug, is sold for just Rs 5.5 per strip under the scheme, compared to Rs 30 in regular pharmacies, offering a saving of around 82 per cent. A pulse oximeter, often used in respiratory care, an important machine after Covid-19, costs Rs 495 through Janaushadhi but sells for nearly Rs 1,599 in retail, a 69 per cent price cut. Budesonide inhalers used by asthma patients are available for Rs 123 compared to the market average of Rs acetate injections, often prescribed for prostate and breast cancer, cost Rs 1,800 under the scheme, down from the market price of Rs 3,453, a 48 per cent saving. Other drugs show a similar trend. The price gap spans across multiple therapeutic areas: diabetes, oncology, cardiovascular disease, respiratory care, and even surgical consumables, and offers a wide range of 2,047 generic medicines and 300 surgical items, all priced 50 per cent to 80 per cent lower than their branded counterparts.- Ends
The Hindu
12-06-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Union government's transfer of funds to TN is higher than the State's revenue generated for the Centre, says Annamalai
For every rupee paid by Tamil Nadu to the Union government through the Central GST and Income and Corporate Taxes, the Centre has given the State the same amount through devolution of funds, grant in aid, subsidies, and funds for projects such as roads and airports, contended K. Annamalai, former BJP State president on Thursday. He told journalists in Coimbatore that in 2021-2022, the CGST and Income and Corporate Tax paid by Tamil Nadu was ₹1,10,453 crore and in FY 23, it was ₹1,34,425 crore. In the 2021-2022 fiscal, the Centre gave the State ₹72,510 crore and in 2022-2023, ₹76,465 crore through devolution of funds and grant-in-aid. In 2021-2022, as an instance, the Centre also gave ₹30,456 crore as subsidies (food, fertilizer, etc) apart from funds for projects such as roads and airports. 'So, for every ₹1 paid to the Central government by the State, ₹1 was given back,' he claimed. In the last four years, Tamil Nadu paid the Centre ₹4,36,136 crore and the total transfer to the State by the Centre was ₹5,47,380 crore. Further, the Tamil Nadu government has launched schemes similar to the Vishwakarma scheme and the Janaushadhi schemes of the Union government. But, there are very few beneficiaries registered for the credit-linked subsidy scheme for artisans (Kalaignar Kaivinai Thittam) and the government should share the number of beneficiaries registered for it so far. Similarly, in the case of Mudhalvar Marundhagam, the State government is trying to procure medicine from the Centre and thus blocking the medicines to be supplied to the Janaushadhi outlets in the State, he claimed. Mr. Annamalai said there will be a day when there will be a political change in Tamil Nadu. 'It is inevitable and I am waiting for it,' he said. On the Anna University case, he said he welcomed the defamation case filed by former PRO of Anna University and will not apologise as demanded by him. There should be a CBI inquiry into the case, he said.
Time of India
30-05-2025
- Health
- Time of India
BJP protests closure of Janaushadhi Kendras in Mysuru
Mysuru: BJP activists on Friday staged a protest against the closure of Janaushadi Kendra on govt hospital premises. The protest was organised by the BJP units of Mysuru city and rural areas, in front of KR Hospital. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Protesters expressed their anger by raising slogans against the state govt, demanding the withdrawal of the order. BJP activists, including MLA TS Srivatsa, city president L Nagendra, and former deputy mayor Roopa, participated in the protest. Srivatsa questioned if the state govt decided to close Janaushadhi centres because it features a photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. "Whose photo is displayed at Indira Canteen? Why have you put photos on buses? Will you do the same with the Anna Bhagya scheme one day? The state govt should stop playing divisive politics," the Krishnaraja MLA asked. "The health minister has not provided a satisfactory answer in the House and has made arrogant statements," Srivatsa said, adding that Janaushadhi centres are essential. Nagendra said govt's decision to close Janaushadhi centres is wrong and should be immediately revoked. "There are over 1,200 medicines available at these centres at cheaper rates. Therefore, the state govt should reconsider its decision, or we will continue our protest," he warned.
