CPM Demands Separate Ministry for Pharma Sector (India)
This article was originally published in PharmAsia News
Executive Summary
In a letter to Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, Communist Party of India (Marxist) leader Sitaram Yechury has asked the government to form a separate ministry for the sector. The Indian pharma sector currently comes under different regulatory bodies of various ministries, a situation that Yechury says has hampered the growth of the estimated $12 billion industry. The Department of Chemicals and Fertilisers deals with issues relating to drugs and pricing, while product usage and regulation comes under the Ministry of Health and Drugs Controller General of India. The Department of Science and Technology regulates research and development, while pharma education is dealt with by the Ministry of Human Resource and Development and Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers. (Click here for more