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. Central Board of Indirect Taxes and Customs (CBIC) has issued Notification revising GST rates effective September 22, 2025, after the 56th GST Council meeting. The GST rates for medical devices, drugs, food, beverages, and cosmetics have been notified.
Source: short-url.org/1f8PY
2. India’s Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO) and Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) have issued a unified national protocols for evaluating in-vitro diagnostic kits for Chikungunya, Dengue, Zika and others. These guidelines set strict criteria on sensitivity, specificity, and quality, ensuring accurate diagnostics and strengthening regulatory oversight to improve access to quality-assured diagnostic kits in India.
Source: short-url.org/1f8Q4
3. The National Medical Commission has advised medical colleges to strengthen rabies case management via regular training, surveillance, and community outreach. Colleges must guarantee continuous supply of anti-rabies vaccine (ARV) and anti-rabies serum (ARS), maintain a register of animal bite exposure cases, and report suspected rabies cases through state nodal officers via IHIP under IDSP.
Source: short-url.org/1f8Qh
4. The Directorate General of Health Services is set to introduce new regulations establishing minimum standards for medical sample collection and transportation. These standards aim to ensure that blood, urine, and swab samples are handled by trained professionals and transported under proper conditions, including maintaining a cold chain, to prevent contamination and ensure accurate test results.
Source: short-url.org/1f8Qw
5. The Drugs Control Administration (DCA), Telangana suspended licences of 165 medical shops and permanently cancelled seven for retailing MTP kits without valid prescriptions or licensed supervision. 800+ inspections revealed violations including OTC sales of abortifacient drugs (mifepristone, misoprostol), lack of required records, and dispensing without qualified pharmacists.
Source: short-url.org/1f8QF