Latest news with #PIL
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Business Standard
17 hours ago
- Business
- Business Standard
Medical representatives barred from govt hospitals to stop pharma influence
Medical representatives will no longer be permitted to meet doctors directly within central government hospitals, following a directive from the Centre aimed at putting an end to the nexus between pharmaceutical companies and medical professionals, reported The Economic Times. The move seeks to curtail any influence exerted through gifts or free samples. According to the report, the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS) has instructed all government-run hospitals to bar the entry of medical representatives. Instead, if pharmaceutical companies wish to share information about new treatments or medical advancements, they must do so through email or other digital media. DGHS's directive on disruptions and influence The order, dated May 28, directs heads of government medical institutions to ensure full compliance with the new policy. The directive also aims to put an end to disruptions to hospital operations caused by unregulated interactions between pharma representatives and doctors. Last year, the Department of Pharmaceuticals implemented the Uniform Code for Pharmaceuticals Marketing Practices (UCPMP), which bars pharmaceutical companies from offering gifts or travel perks to healthcare professionals or their relatives. The code also prohibits the provision of cash or monetary grants to doctors or their family members under any circumstances. The UCPMP also bans the distribution of free drug samples to individuals who are not authorised to prescribe them. Doctors must prescribe only generic drugs: SC In May, the Supreme Court declared that doctors across the country should be mandated to prescribe only generic medicines rather than branded alternatives. Generic drugs are designed to match their branded counterparts in terms of dosage, safety, efficacy, administration method, and therapeutic use. The observation came during the hearing of a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking tighter control over the marketing and promotional strategies employed by pharmaceutical companies. In 2023, the National Medical Commission (NMC) introduced new regulations under the 'Professional Conduct of Registered Medical Practitioners', requiring doctors to prescribe only generic medicines. The guidelines warned that failure to comply could lead to penalties, including suspension of medical licences. However, the Indian Medical Association (IMA) strongly opposed the government's directive. The body questioned the rationale behind continuing to licence branded medications if the government aims to prioritise generics. Following widespread backlash from the medical community, the NMC was forced to put the implementation of these guidelines on hold.
Hindustan Times
6 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Unauthorised occupation of govt bungalows: Furnish latest status report by July 7, HC tells J&K govt
A division bench of the J&K and Ladakh high court (HC) comprising chief justice Arun Palli and justice Rajnesh Oswal on Wednesday granted last opportunity to J&K government to furnish latest status report pertaining to unauthorised occupation of government bungalows by former chief minister (CM) Ghulam Nabi Azad and former J&K BJP chief Ravinder Raina by July 7. The directions were issued during the hearing of Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking eviction of overstaying ex-ministers, former legislators and politicians in government accommodation. The division bench granted last opportunity to senior additional advocate general (AAG) SS Nanda appearing for estates department to furnish the latest status report in terms of order dated March 26 before the adjourned date. The bench stated that failing in complying the directions, chairman of the designated committee would appear before the court or by the virtual mode on the next date of hearing. IGP of the CID is the chairman of the designated committee. During the hearing, petitioner's counsel advocate Sheikh Shakeel Ahmed drew the attention of the division bench towards order dated March 26, wherein the division bench had granted three weeks' time to file the status report with regard to the accommodation. On March 26, senior AAG SS Nanda had submitted that the designated committee is likely to review the allotment of accommodation of the two politicians. Advocate Ahmed further submitted that the March 26 directions of the bench have not been complied with and the designated committee has not reviewed the matter regarding allotment of accommodation to two high profile politicians. He further submitted that the apex court has ruled in catena of judgements that once a public man demits his office then he/she becomes an ordinary person and is not entitled to government accommodation. After considering the submissions of advocate Ahmed, the bench headed by chief justice Arun Palli in the open court expressed concern over the dilatory tactics and observed that this PIL was pending for the last five years.
New Indian Express
24-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Dalit business champ scheme: Orders on plea seeking CBI probe reserved
CHENNAI: The Madras HC's vacation bench of justices GR Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan on Friday reserved orders on a PIL petition filed by YouTuber 'Savukku' Shankar seeking a CBI probe into the alleged irregularities in implementation of Annal Ambedkar Business Champion Scheme aimed at making SC/ST conservancy workers into entrepreneurs. During the hearing, Additional AAG J Ravindran, representing the Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board, submitted that 213 eligible persons were selected adhering to eligibility criteria. Questioning the maintainability of the plea and taking it up as urgent matter during vacation, he raised doubts about the bona fide intent behind filing the petition. He said it was filed out of political animosity as the petitioner himself had stated that the petition was a retaliatory measure to the vandalisation of his house. The bench said it wouldn't see who is the petitioner but only the contents of the plea. It questioned why a group management company was not established as per the requirement of the scheme. Representative of Gen Green Logistics, one of the parties impleaded, submitted that each member belonging to SC will be made a shareholder. Subsequently, the bench reserved the orders.
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Business
- New Indian Express
Madras HC impleads Dalit association, pvt firm in Savukku Shankar's plea alleging swindling of funds
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court on Thursday impleaded the Dalit Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (DICCI) and Gen Green Logistics Private Limited in the PIL petition filed by YouTuber 'Savukku' Shankar seeking a CBI probe into the implementation of the Annal Ambedkar Business Champions Scheme of the state aimed at empowering the Dalit conservancy workers. The order to implead them was passed by a vacation bench of justices G R Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan when the PIL came up for hearing. The two entities were impleaded after the Supreme Court recently issued a direction to the high court on the petitions filed by them. The apex court had also questioned the urgency with which the matter was taken up by the vacation bench. The Chennai Metro Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) submitted the records related to the implementation of the scheme before the court as directed. The bench, adjourning the hearing to Friday, directed the CMWSSB to make an officer put in an appearance before the court during the hearing. Shankar had filed the PIL alleging certain irregularities — including handing over the implementation to the private entity (DICCI), instead of the MSME department — regarding the scheme.
New Indian Express
23-05-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Madras High Court tells TN govt to file status report on 41 DVAC FIRs in Tasmac corruption case
CHENNAI: The Madras High Court has directed the state government to file a status report on the 41 FIRs registered by the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption (DVAC) regarding corruption in the liquor retail business of the Tamil Nadu State Marketing Corporation (Tasmac). The direction was issued by a vacation bench of justices G R Swaminathan and V Lakshminarayanan when a PIL petition filed by K Venkatachalapathy @ Kutty, of Tirunelveli, came up for hearing on Thursday. The bench adjourned the hearing by three weeks after getting an undertaking from Advocate General (AG) P S Raman that he would advise the home secretary 'not to close the pending cases till next hearing'. When the bench expressed apprehensions that the state may close the FIRs in order to render the PIL infructuous if adjourned, the AG said such closure cannot be done unilaterally by the state. 'It cannot be done unilaterally. The closure reports have to be filed in the jurisdictional judicial magistrate court and the magistrate has to apply his mind before ordering closure,' he pointed out. The counsel for the petitioner had pressed for a status report on the FIRs registered since 2017.
