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TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. Indian Supreme Court has in a recent judgement held that corporate social responsibility cannot be limited to philanthropy and must inherently include environmental protection. It emphasized that companies have a constitutional duty to protect ecosystems and prevent environmental degradation, making sustainability and biodiversity conservation integral to CSR obligations.
Source: https://h7.cl/1hniW

2. The Indian medical devices regulator has issued an updated risk classification list for oncology devices, superseding the earlier 2020 notification. The revision introduces new categories such as AI-based diagnostics and advanced ablation and hyperthermia systems, and reclassifies certain devices, thereby impacting regulatory pathways under the Medical Devices Rules, 2017.
Source: https://h7.cl/1mjWw

3. The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) has released a new guide on preparing quality manuals and management system documentation for labs seeking NABL accreditation under ISO/IEC standards.
Source: https://h7.cl/1hnlv

4. The Department of Pharmaceuticals under Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers has invited applications under Marginal Investment Scheme for Reducing Import Dependence and Medical Device Clinical Studies Support Scheme, both of which form part of the broader Scheme for Strengthening of Medical Device Industry.
Source: https://h7.cl/1mjYL

5. The Ministry of Finance released detailed FAQs on the Health Security se National Security (HSNS) Cess Act and Rules, clarifying registration, cess computation, returns, machine declaration, abatement and compliance procedures effective from 1 Feb 2026. This guidance supports industry readiness for new cess obligations under the Act.
Source: https://h7.cl/1mjXk

Posted on

TOP 5 HEALTH LAWS AND POLICY UPDATES

Dear Readers, we are happy to share the most interesting legal and policy updates concerning health industry that we read today. We hope you enjoy reading it.

1. The Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) has approved a proposal to delete the exemption under Entry 13 of Schedule K for cough syrups. The move follows recent incidents involving deaths linked to contaminated cough syrups.
Source: h7.cl/1ft5I

2. The Drugs Consultative Committee (DCC) has observed gaps in monitoring drug marketers’ responsibility for product quality, safety, and efficacy, as their details are often unavailable for regulatory communication. To enhance accountability, the DCC has recommended amending the Drugs Rules, 1945 to mandate a licensing framework for all drug marketers.
Source: h7.cl/1kjPG

3. India is reportedly planning to introduce a Quality Control Order (QCO) requiring Bureau of Indian Standards compliance for food-processing machinery, aiming to curb unsafe imports, especially from China. The measure seeks to improve equipment reliability, ensure food-grade materials, strengthen domestic manufacturing, and minimise disruption for smaller processors across the industry.
Source: h7.cl/1ft5T

4. The government will reportedly introduce a Bill in the Lok Sabha seeking a new “health & national security” cess to replace the expiring GST compensation cess on cigarettes, pan masala, gutkha and other tobacco products. The aim is to keep overall tax incidence unchanged, sustaining high indirect-tax levels on “sin goods” while tying levy proceeds to public-health and national-security objectives.
Source: h7.cl/1kjPJ

5. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) has directed all state and central food-safety authorities to conduct inspections, sampling and testing of roasted chana and similar products following complaints that the banned industrial dye Auramine, which is not permitted under food-safety rules, was being illegally used for colouring. The order mandates action across manufacturing, storage, distribution and e-commerce channels and requires a consolidated compliance report to be submitted within 15 days.
Source: h7.cl/1kjQl