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 Ministry of Commerce & Industry introduced the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Bill, 2025 in Lok Sabha to decriminalise 288 minor offences under 16 central laws, including the Drugs and Cosmetics Act. It proposes replacing imprisonment with monetary penalties and improvement notices to ease compliance, boost business confidence, and cut litigation. The Bill now awaits Parliamentary committee review.
Source 1: short-link.me/1bGZT
Source 2: short-link.me/1bGZX
2. India’s Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has introduced an automated alerts protocol for OCEMS (Online Continuous Emission/Effluent Monitoring Systems). Compliance issues now trigger tiered warnings: Yellow (Level I), Orange (Level II), and Red (Level III), requiring escalating actions from record-keeping to immediate shutdowns and detailed incident reporting.
Source: short-link.me/1bH01
3. The Health Ministry has reversed the requirement for doctors to register on the National Medical Register just months after making it mandatory. The change comes after fewer than 1 percent of doctors enrolled, facing a process tangled with Aadhaar mismatches and affidavit demands, leaving most applications unapproved.
Source: short-link.me/1bH03
4. Delhi’s Drug Control Administration issued a strict advisory to chemist associations, mandating the immediate cessation of over-the-counter sales of pregabalin and tapentadol due to rising misuse for intoxication and addiction. The directive demands accurate stock records under the Drugs Rules, 1945, and warns of strict penalties for non-compliance.
Source: short-link.me/17f6F
5. The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India has reportedly formed a committee to evaluate whether added sugar should be permitted in infant food. This follows criticism for major manufacturer of infant food for adding sugar in infant food sold in India. Current food regulations allow limited sucrose/fructose only if essential, capped at 20% of total carbohydrates.
Source: short-link.me/17f6L