*** Pharmaceutical Industry****

Pharmaceutical Industry in India :

World's 3rd largest in terms of volume.And has grown at an
estimated compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13 per cent
during the period FY 20092013.
Department of Pharmaceuticals is under the Indian Ministry of
Chemicals and Fertilizers.
India is now among the top five pharmaceutical emerging
markets of the world
Pharmaceuticals market can be roughly classified into
Bulk drugs (20% of the market) registering growth rates of 20%
and formulations (80% of the market) with an annual growth rate
of 15%.
Patent Act,1970 & Economic liberalisation in 1991,has led to
present stage of the Industry.
Patent act removed composition patents from food and drugs,
and though it kept process patents, these were shortened to a
period of five to seven years.
The lack of patent protection made the Indian market
undesirable to the multinational companies that had dominated
the market, and while they streamed out. Indian companies
carved a niche in both the Indian and world markets with their
expertise in reverse-engineering new processes for
manufacturing drugs at low costs. Although some of the larger
companies have taken baby steps towards drug innovation, the
industry as a whole has been following this business model until
the present.
Biggest contributor : India's biopharmaceutical industry
In terms of the global market, India currently holds a modest
12% share, but it has been growing at approximately 10% per
year. India gained its foothold on the global scene with its
innovatively engineered generic drugs and active pharmaceutical
ingredients (API), and it is now seeking to become a major player
in outsourced clinical research as well as contract manufacturing
and research.
Patent Protection : (some bits of IPA,1970-mentioned
later)
As it expands its core business, the industry is being forced to
adapt its business model to recent changes in the operating
environment. The 1 January 2005 enactment of an amendment to
Indias patent law that reinstated product patents for the first
time since 1972. The legislation took effect on the deadline set by
the WTOs Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights
(TRIPS) agreement, which mandated patent protection on both
products and processes for a period of 20 years. Under this new
law, India will be forced to recognise not only new patents but

also any patents filed after 1 January 1995.Indian companies

achieved their status in the domestic market by breaking these
product patents, and it is estimated that within the next few
years, they will lose $650 million of the local generics market to
patent-holders.
In the domestic market, this new patent legislation has resulted in
fairly clear segmentation. The multinationals narrowed their focus
onto high-end patients who make up only 12% of the market,
taking advantage of their newly bestowed patent protection.
Meanwhile, Indian firms have chosen to take their existing
product portfolios and target semi-urban and rural populations.
Product Development :
Indian companies are also starting to adapt their product
development processes to the new environment. For years, firms
have made their ways into the global market by researching
generic competitors to patented drugs and following up with
litigation to challenge the patent. This approach remains
untouched by the new patent regime and looks to increase in the
future. However, those that can afford it have set their sights on
an even higher goal: new molecule discovery. Although the
initial investment is huge, companies are lured by the promise of
hefty profit margins and has a legitimate competitor in the global
industry. Local firms have slowly been investing more money into
their R&D programs or have formed alliances to tap into these
opportunities.
Challenges :
Even after the increased investment, market leaders such as
Ranbaxy and Dr. Reddys Laboratories spent only 510% of their
revenues on R&D, lagging behind Western pharmaceuticals like
Pfizer, whose research budget last year was greater than the
combined revenues of the entire Indian pharmaceutical industry.
This disparity is too great to be explained by cost differentials,
and it comes when advances in genomics have made research
equipment more expensive than ever. The drug discovery process
is further hindered by a dearth of qualified molecular biologists.
Due to the disconnect between curriculum and industry, pharma
in India also lack the academic collaboration that is crucial to
drug development in the West and so far.
Pharma & Biotechnology :
Unlike in other countries, the difference between biotechnology
and pharmaceuticals remains fairly defined in India.
The Indian biotech market is dominated by bio
pharmaceuticals.Of the revenues from bio-pharmaceuticals,
vaccines led the way, comprising 47% of sales. Biologics and
large-molecule drugs tend to be more expensive than small-

molecule drugs, and India hopes to sweep the market in biogenerics and contract manufacturing as drugs go off patent and
Indian companies upgrade their manufacturing capabilities.
Most companies in the biotech sector are extremely small &
new.The newness of the companies explains the industrys high
consolidation in both physical and financial terms.
Comparison with American Biotech Industry :
The Indian biotech sector parallels that of the US in many
ways. Both are filled with small start-ups while the majority of
the market is controlled by a few powerful companies. Both
are dependent upon government grants and venture
capitalists for funding because neither will be commercially
viable for years. Pharmaceutical companies in both countries
have recognised the potential effect that biotechnology could
have on their pipelines and have responded by either
investing in existing start-ups or venturing into the field
themselves. In both India and the US, as well as in much of
the globe, biotech is seen as a hot field with a lot of growth
potential.
Biotechnology industry and the IT industry
The biotech sector mirrors that of the IT sector. Biotech
colleges have been popping up around the country eager to
service the pools of students that want to take advantage of
a growing industry. The International Finance Corporation, the
private investment arm of the World Bank, called India the
"centerpiece of IFCs global biotech strategy." Of the $110
million invested in 14 biotech projects investment globally,
the IFC has given $43 million to 4 projects in India. The
biotech industry could become the "single largest sector for
employment of skilled human resource in the years to come".
Malaysia is also looking to India as an example for growing its
own biotech industry.
Government support for biotechnology
The Indian government has been very supportive. It
established the Department of Biotechnology in 1986 under
the Ministry of Science and Technology. Since then, there
have been a number of dispensations offered by both the
central government and various states to encourage the
growth of the industry. Indias science minister launched a
program that provides tax incentives and grants for biotech
start-ups and firms seeking to expand and establishes the
Biotechnology Parks Society of India to support ten biotech
parks by 2010. Previously limited to rodents, animal testing
was expanded to include large animals as part of the
ministers initiative. States have started to vie with one

another for biotech business, and they are offering such

goodies as exemption from VAT and other fees, financial
assistance with patents and subsidies on everything ranging
from investment to land to utilities.
Foreign investment in biotechnology
The government has also taken steps to encourage foreign
investment in its biotech sector. An initiative passed earlier
this year allowed 100% foreign direct investment without
compulsory licensing from the government. Just two months
later, Sibal in US to unveiled Indias biotech growth strategy
at the BIO2005 conference in Philadelphia.
Challenges in biotechnology
The biotech sector faces some major challenges. Chief
among them is a lack of funding, particularly for new firms.
The most likely sources of funds are government grants and
venture capital, which is a relatively young industry in India.
Government grants are difficult to secure, and due to the
expensive and uncertain nature of biotech research, venture
capitalists are reluctant to invest in firms that have not yet
developed a commercially viable product.
The government has addressed the problem of educated but
unqualified candidates in its Draft National Biotech
Development Strategy. This plan included a proposal to
create a National Task Force that will work with the biotech
industry to revise the curriculum for undergraduate and
graduate study in life sciences and biotechnology. The
governments strategy also stated intentions to increase the
number of PhD Fellowships awarded by the Department of
Biotechnology to 200 per year. These human resources will
be further leveraged with a "Bio-Edu-Grid" that will knit
together the resources of the academic and scientific
industrial communities, much as they are in the US.
National Pharmaceuticals Policy : is one that aims at
ensuring that people get good quality drugs at the lowest possible
price, and that doctors prescribe the minimum of required drugs
in order to treat the patient's illness. The pioneers in this field
were Sri Lanka and Chile.
For more :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_pharmaceuticals_policy
National Pharmaceuticals Policy,India,2012 :

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy-2012.The salient

features of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy, 2012 (NPPP2012) are as under:

The regulation of prices of drugs is on the basis of essentiality

of drugs as specified under National List of
Essential
Medicines (NLEM)-2011.

The regulation of prices of drugs is on the basis of regulating

the prices of formulations only.

The regulation of prices of drugs is on the basis of fixing the

ceiling price of formulations through Market Based Pricing (MBP).
NLEM-2011 contains 614 formulations of specified strengths
and dosage forms, spread over 27 therapeutic
categories and satisfy the priority healthcare needs of
majority of the population of the country.
As per the provisions of NPPP-2012, all the
manufacturers/importers manufacturing/importing the
medicines as specified under NLEM-2011 shall be under the
purview of price control. Such medicines shall have an MRP
equal to or lower than the ceiling price (plus local taxes as
applicable) as notified by the Government for respective
medicines.
The objective of National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy-2012 is
to put in place a regulatory framework for pricing of drugs so as
to ensure availability of required medicines essential
medicines at reasonable prices even while providing sufficient
opportunity for innovation and competition to support the growth
of industry, thereby meeting the goals of employment and shared
economic well-being for all.
During the 12th Five Year Plan, Ministry of Health and Family
Welfare proposes to start an initiative for free supply of essential
medicines in public health facilities in the country aiming to
provide affordable health care to the people by reducing out of
pocket expenses on medicine. Besides this, in order to provide
relief to the common man in the area of healthcare, a
countrywide campaign in the name of Jan Aushadhi Campaign
was initiated by the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Government
of India, in collaboration with the State Governments, by way of
opening up of Jan Aushadhi Generic Drug Stores to make
available quality generic medicines at affordable prices to all.
Related articles :
http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/new-drug-pricing-setto-change-industry/article4154196.ece

http://www.biospectrumasia.com/biospectrum/analysis/159071/wil
l-india-s-drug-pricing-policy-create-industry#.U9zLPPmSwwA
Drug Price Control Order,2013 :
With the objective to improvise and endow with the basic health
care and availability of basic medicines at an affordable price
across the country, the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry
of Chemicals and Fertilizers, notified the Drug (Prices Control)
Order 2013("DPCO 2013") in May 2013, which may fluctuate the
pricing of 348 essential medicines. Prior to the 2013 regime, the
DPCO 1995 included 74 bulk medicines within its ambit and the
pricing of the drugs were fixed on the basis of manufacturing
costs declared by the drug manufacturers.
The DPCO 2013 empowers the National Pharmaceutical Pricing
Authority ("NPPA") to regulate prices of 348 essential drugs. As
per the new DPCO 2013, all strengths and dosages specified in
the National List of Essential Medicines (NLEM) will be under price
control.
According to the Drug Prices Control Order (DPCO), 2013 the
ceiling price of essential medicines is fixed based on the simple
average of the prices of all brands of that drug that have
a market share of at least 1%.
Companies whose market share of a particular drug exceeds 1%
will not be allowed to stop manufacturing essential drugs unless
the NPPA is assured that there will not be a supply shortage.
DPCO 2013 defines the term "Formulation" as a medicine
processed out of or containing one or more drugs with or without
use of any pharmaceutical aids, for internal or external use for or
in the diagnosis, treatment, mitigation or prevention of disease
and, but shall not include
i. any medicine included in any bonafide Ayurvedic (including
Sidha) or Unani (Tibb) systems of medicines;
ii. any medicine included in the Homeopathic system of medicine;
and
iii. any substance to which the provisions of the Drugs and
Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940) do not apply;
Lacuna with DPCO 13 :
(a) Fixed Dose Combinations (FDCs) out of price
control, (b) increase of roughly 10% on 1st April year after
year,(c) patented drugs not covered which will lead to
domestic manufacturers suffering and MNCs benefitting.
There are about 900 total medicines. The price regulation will
cover 348 drugs. There will be lots of opportunity to shift

from regulated to unregulated drugs. Combinations of two

drugs (within 348) will be out of price control. An estimated
half of all dosage forms will be out of price control on this
account. The policy and its instrument, the DPCO 2013, are
shockingly silent on these escape routes.
(a) above means, "The drugs in National List of Essential
Medicines (NLEM) 2011, are likely to stop making them and
migrate to other medicines of the same chemical class as
these other equivalent drugs are not in the NLEM 2011 and
therefore, out of the purview of DPCO 2013. The other route
to escape price control is by making a FDC of the drug under
price control "
Remedy :
The remedy to prevent such migration is to put all
chemical analogues (the me-toos and/or iso-mers) of the
medicines included in NLEM under price ceiling.
Impact :
The government of India ' s insistence on the low pricing
of essential drugs will reduce the country's attractiveness to
pharmaceutical firms , as it limits the overall market's growth
potential. The government needs to increase spending on
healthcare in order to improve patient access to medical
services , which will in turn drive demand for healthcare
products .
This would mean that the burden of providing healthcare
does not rest disproportionately on the pharmaceutical firms
While the consistent supply of essential drugs is necessary to
ensure patient access to fundamental medicines,BMI believes
that the government's method of pressurising companies to
continue to produce unprofitable products will negatively
impact their revenues and the growth potential of the wider
Indian pharmaceutical market.
For fear of facing scarcity of essential medicines for
patients,the department of pharmaceuticals which
formulated the policy has directed top state government and
state health officials to ensure the availability of medicines,
stating that since these are essential commodities, their
uninterrupted supply has to be ensured
Lessons From China
We continue to highlight China as offering a good case study
for India's progression towards universal healthcare. The
countries share similar issues in terms of providing
healthcare to large populations, slowing economic growth

and changing epidemiological profiles. The affordable supply

of essential drugs has also been an issue in China. Due to
strong growth opportunities in the sale of essential drugs,
many pharmaceuticals firms submitted tenders to be
suppliers. This led to price wars, and the supply of essential
drugs is no longer as profitable as before. In some cases, low
prices have caused companies to stop producing these
drugs, leading to a supply shortage of some essential drugs.
To address this problem,govt allowed pharmaceutical firms to
set their own prices for essential drugs in short supply, so
that they can profit at a 'reasonable' rate. [3] We highlight,
however, that such a policy would not be possible in India
given the low government health spending.
National List of Essential Medicines :
Essential medicines are defined as those that satisfy the
health care needs of the majority of a population.
This concept was defined in 1975 by the World Health
Organization (WHO), and is based on the premise that a
limited list of
carefully selected medicines, will improve quality of health
care, provide cost-effective health care and better
management of medicines.
The first WHO Model list of essential medicines (EML) was
published in 1977 with revisions every two years.
The Government of India, recognizing the importance of the
EML, prepared and published its first National Essential Drugs
List in 1996, which was revised in 2003 as the National List of
Essential Medicines.
The National List of Essential Medicines of India (NLEMI 2011)
was revised recently by the Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare (MOHandFW), Government of India (GOI), in
June 2011, nearly eight years after the previous list, on the
directions of the Supreme Court of India.
[Weaknesses] : Improper selection of medicines , Nonalignment of the NLEMI with the National Health
Programs and the National Formulary of India.,Lack of
uniformity in expressing strengths of medicines etc.
___________________________________
(Insights) Drug Prices :

In India, Drug prices are a complex issue. Examine why and explain its
impact on healthcare system and the population.

A.

RL : http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/to-cap-ornot-to-cap-114093001233_1.html
________
Answers :

India has a paradox of exporting cheap medicine worldwide but failing to

provide the same to its own population. Complex nature of drug prices is
because of
1) Despite price regulation of essential drugs, dysfunctional public
healthcare has made its distribution a failure.
2) Price control of non-essential drugs in extra ordinary circumstances by
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority, outrages the phara industry since
it affects their business.
3) Foreign pharmas try to ever-green their patents keeping many life saving
drugs out of reach of middle class people let alone poors.
4) Unbranded generic medicine with cheaper price but same affect has
failed to catch the market barring few exceptions like Rajasthan, Tamilnadu.
Patients normally go to normal medicine shops to pay higher price.
IMPLICATION ON HELATHCARE AND POPULAION:
Increase in out-of-pocket expenditure of people, 80% of which goes into
medicine alone.
Lack of access to affordable medicine has made India a world leader in
diseases such as TB, malaria, diarrohea etc bearing the maximum disease
burden in the world.
This has created high disfigurement, disability, morbidity and mortality
which is reflected in our poor HDI ranking.
Thus balancing both public and corporate interest, government must
consider bulk procurement of medicine at bargained prices and supply it at
affordable price through a robust distribution network.
************************************************************************
A.
(Insights)
India is widely recognised as the pharmacy of the developing world
thanks to its generic drugs manufacturing sector. Yet, ironically, it often
fails to provide necessary drugs to its own population. Critically discuss
the reasons behind this paradox and what needs to be done to address
the problem of inaccessibility of essential drugs to common man.
A.

RL : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-right-tomedicines-in-a-world-of-stockouts/article6470157.ece

MAIN TOPIC : Drug Shortage in India .

: Drug Stock outs In India.
______________________________
(Answer)
Govt. hospitals are supposed to maintain enough stocks and detailed system to
avoid stock-outs. But the negligence and self-interests of the people within the
system leads to the stock crisis frequently. Large no. of patients seeks care in private
hospitals due to overburdened and patient-unfriendly nature of the public health
care system.

National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) issues the guidelines regarding

fixing the prices of drugs through Drug (Prices Control) order. Due to the
intervention of the NPPA, some pharma companies lower the production of
essential drugs, thus making supply deficit like recent J&K flood when drugs supply
was not sufficient. Further, Indian drug makers face reasonable competition in the
market and reducing prices affect them badly. Frequent changes in the prices also
affect the companies profit margins.

The shortage of the essential drugs like for TB and HIV has significant implication
like more spreading of the disease and incomplete treatment. Most of the Indians
cant afford expensive medicines from private supplier. Public healthcare system
has to be strong to help poor patients to realize the dream of Universal Health
Coverage in India.
Govt. can maintain and deliver a continuous supply of drugs by ensuring
following practices:
1) Effective management of drug stocks;
2) Active management of raw material suppliers and supplies;
3) Maintenance of multiple facilities to manufacture products;
4) Establishment and effective management of distribution networks; and
5) Rapid response to supply interruption to limit the drug shortage risk.

Links given for above answer :

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/pricing-row-hits-pharma-industry/article64530

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Industry/nonessential-drugs-nppa-withdraws-price-cont
order/article6439154.ece

http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/state-firms-may-not-meet-j-k-drug
sources-114091800031_1.html

The generic drug industry in India is a thriving sector. And not surprisingly the
country is referred to as pharmacy of developing world.However , issues with
respect to supply of drugs do remain.
Firstly , people in rural hinterland doesn't have accessibility due to lack of
infrastructure and medicare facilities.
Secondly , there are large gaps in implementation of NRHM owing to which over the
counter supply is very less.
Thirdly , generic drugs are not prescribed by physicians and even if they do patients
go for branded ones with a misconception of it being a better one.
Finally , the competition is severe. And pharmacies look for profit within the
available space and free drugs are a distant dream.
These coupled with issues of IPR and patents have created a huge blockade for
manufacturing generic drugs at a larger scale. The government must take
immediate steps in this regard.
Each gram panchayat must be enabled with a counter to supply free drugs for
common ailments. This can be supplemented by drug kits with ASHA's and Primary
health centres.Further a 24/7 mobile drug supply facility must be made available at
block level for emergency supply. When such measures are coupled with educating

people and ordering physicians to prescribe generic drugs , the advantage og

growing industry can be utilised to a maximum extent
_______________________________
There are various reason for the shortage of the drugs.
1.The government procures drugs from the manufacturing firms through
tendering process and the delay caused in the tendering process leads to
delay in procurement.
2. Drug makers stopped participating in the government's tender process over
the past year because of delays in getting paid.
3. Big pharmaceutical companies discontinuing or actively combatting
generics in order to enhance sales of newer, more expensive, brand-name
drugs.
4. Shortage of substrate (materials to make drugs).
Free supply of anti-retro viral drugs from the government is necessary as they are
expensive in open market and beyond the reach of most patients.India has the
third-highest number of people living with HIV. Shortage of drugs will have severe
consequences.
Proper Steps should be taken to tackle drug shortage.
Regularly monitored and the suppliers should be kept in the loop about future
requirements.
Active management for tacking raw material and payment issues.
Proper forecasting, planning and early procurements.
"Access to essential medicines must be an undeniable right of every Indian"
___________________________________________________
India is the third largest producer of drugs in world and is admired as the
pharmacy of south. But the recent news of stock-out of essential
medicines resulting in suffering of her citizen(patients particularly) has put a
question mark on her management , production and regulatory procedures.
The reasons of stock out could be:
1. Poor monitoring of drug stocks and laxity of administration .
2. Lack of intimation of the drug suppliers about falling stock of drugs.
3. Delay in procurement of drugs.

4. Introducing of more drugs in NLEM has led to decrease the production by

drug suppliers to redeem their profit margins.
5. Absence of social audits, nexus between administration and
pharmaceutical companies.
The philanthropic industry is metamorphosing into callous, commercial
venture which ultimately has adverse effect on the economic, physical and
psychological state of people.
Following could be done to improve the situation:
1.Social audits, investigation by CAG (recently given a green signal by SC)
2.Threshold limit on drug-stock to intimate the pharma companies of
impending stock-out.
3. Taking advantage of amended Indian patent rights Act to provide more
CLs and end evergreening of drugs.
4.Asking doctors to prescribe generic drugs which available in better
amounts and lower prices than branded drugs.
5.Introduction of certain drugs in NLEM during emergencies.
_____________________________________________________________________
A.
Recently government has decided to bring all life-saving drugs
under its price control policy. Critically comment on governments
existing price control policy for pharmaceutical drugs and explain what
would be the impact on various stakeholders of its new move to bring
more drugs under this policy?
A.

RL: http://www.business-standard.com/article/economy-policy/alllife-saving-drugs-may-come-under-price-cap-114102400970_1.html
________________________________________
A.

Critically examine how the new drug pricing policy introduced in

2012 differed from earlier policies. Also throw light on its outcome.

A.

RL: http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/d-g-shahwhy-drug-pricing-policies-can-be-injurious-to-health114102801463_1.html

_________________________________________

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********************
The main opportunities for the Indian pharmaceutical
industry are in the areas of:
generics (including biotechnology generics)
biotechnology
outsourcing (including contract manufacturing, information
technology (IT)
and R&D outsourcing).

The three strategic drivers for accelerating growth of the

pharmaceutical industry in India
are intellectual property rights-its implementation in letter and
spirit; liberal drug pricing
policies; and regulatory (as well as labor) law reforms. "
India's First Pharmaceutical Patent Goes to Roche
In March 2006, Roche became the first company in India to receive a
patent under the
product patent regime. The product patent has been granted for
Pegasys
(peginterferon alfa-2a) for the treatment of hepatitis C, under the
country's mailbox
facility for post-1995 inventions. The patent is valid for 20 years from
May 15, 1997,
during which time no other firm can launch a generic version in India.
***********************************************************************
***************************
Government Initiatives
As per extant policy, FDI up to 100 per cent, under the automatic
route, is permitted in the pharmaceuticals sector. Hundred per cent
FDI is also permitted for investments in existing companies under the
government approval route.
Further, the Government of India has also put in place mechanisms
such as the Drug Price Control Order and the National Pharmaceutical
Pricing Authority to address the issue of affordability and availability of
medicines.
The government plans to create a special entity in partnership with
private firms for a 'Brand India Pharma' campaign with the objective of
improving the image of drug exporters. The special purpose vehicle
(SPV) will be in operation in the next few weeks, said Mr Rajeev Kher,
Commerce Secretary, Government of India.
The Andhra Pradesh government has announced a new life sciences
policy for the state at the 11th edition of BioAsia 2014 in Hyderabad.
According to the new policy, the state will provide subsidies in power,
water and provide land for setting up of new life science industries in
the state. The state government is planning to attract an investment
of Rs 20,000 crore (US$ 3.33 billion) by encouraging more industries
in the segment.
In a move to simplify the barcode procedures for pharmaceutical
companies and to ensure quality, the Government of India has
decided to treat mono cartons containing medicines as primary level
packaging, as per the Directorate General of Foreign Trade (DGFT).
The Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers has unveiled a scheme that
will enable pharma units in different clusters across the country to set
up common infrastructure facilities with substantial financial
assistance from the government.

An increase in insurance coverage, an ageing population, rising

income, greater awareness of personal health and hygiene, easy
access to high-quality healthcare facilities and favourable government
initiatives are some of the important factors expected to drive the
pharma industry in India. The Government of India has unveiled
Pharma Vision 2020 aimed at making India a global leader in end-toend drug manufacturing.
PDF Attached : Pharma.
_______________________________________________________________________
______________
Generic Drug : Is a drug defined as "a drug product that is
comparable to A generic drug brand/reference listed drug product in
dosage form, strength, quality and performance characteristics, and
intended use.
A generic drug must contain the same active ingredients as the
original formulation.Can be manufactured domestically using reverse
engineering.
A generic drug of biological type (e.g. monoclonal antibodies), is
different from chemical drugs because of its biological nature and it is
regulated under extended set of rules for it; see Biosimilars.
A.

Are usually sold for significantly lower prices than their

branded equivalents. One reason for the relatively low price of
generic medicines is that competition increases among producers
when drugs no longer are protected by patents. Companies incur
fewer costs in creating generic drugs (only the cost to
manufacture, rather than the entire cost of development and
testing) and are therefore able to maintain profitability at a lower
price. The prices are low enough for users in many lessprosperous countries to afford them.

B.

Generic manufacturers do not incur the cost of drug discovery.

Sometimes, reverse-engineering is used to
develop bioequivalent versions to existing drugs.[10] Generic
manufacturers also do not bear the burden of proving
the safety and efficacy of the drugs through clinical trials, since
these trials have already been conducted by the brand name
company.

For as long as a drug patent lasts, a brand name company enjoys a

period of marketing exclusivity or monopoly, in which the company
is able to set the price of the drug at a level which
maximizes profitability. The profit often greatly exceeds the
development and production costs of the drug.The advantage of
generic drugs to consumers comes in the introduction of competition,
which prevents any single company from dictating the overall market

price of the drug. Competition is also seen between generic and

name-brand drugs with similar therapeutic uses when physicians or
health plans adopt policies of preferentially prescribing generic drugs .
With multiple firms producing the generic version of a drug, the profitmaximizing price generally falls to the ongoing cost of producing the
drug, which is usually much lower than the monopoly price
________ PDF Attached : Generic Pharma Industry.
And is regulated by Competition Commission of India,2002. (upgraded
from MRTP Act)
(NB) : http://www.authorstream.com/Presentation/narenmadhav1667842-mrtp-competition-act/
See the pdf attached & the table mentioned in the page 32 &
conclusion below !
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Competition Act(s) & Competition Commission of India :
The Competition Act, 2002 was enacted by the Parliament of
India and governs Indian competition law. It replaced the archaic
Monopoly and Restrictive Trade Practices Act, 1969. Under this
legislation, the Competition Commission of Indiawas established to
prevent activities that have an adverse effect on competition in India
The Act prohibits anti-competitive agreements, abuse of dominant
position by enterprises and regulates combinations (acquisition,
acquiring of control and Merger and acquisition), which causes or
likely to cause an appreciable adverse effect on competition within
India.
Competition Act,2002 was amended in 2007,2009 & recently in
2012.
[Attached pdf is the 2012 prs amendment bill of the Act : Here ]

SC Judgement in 2010 :
"The main objective of competition law is to promote economic efficiency using com
the means of assisting the creation of market responsive to consumer preferences
of perfect competition are three-fold: allocative efficiency, which ensures the effec
resources, productive efficiency, which ensures that costs of production are kept at
dynamic efficiency, which promotes innovative practices."

Competition Commission of India :

Competition Commission of India is a body of the Government of
India responsible for enforcing The Competition Act, 2002 throughout
India and to prevent activities that have an adverse effect on

competition in India. It was established on 14 October 2003. It

became fully functional in May 2009
Enacted for establishment of a Commission to prevent practices
having adverse effect on competition, to promote and sustain
competition in markets, to protect the interests of consumers and to
ensure freedom of trade carried on by other participants in markets, in
India, and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
It is the duty of the Commission to eliminate practices having adverse
effect on competition, promote and sustain competition, protect the
interests of consumers and ensure freedom of trade in the markets of
India.

C.
D.

E.
F.

G.

To achieve its objectives, the Competition Commission of India

endeavours to do the following:
Make the markets work for the benefit and welfare of
consumers.
Ensure fair and healthy competition in economic activities in
the country for faster and inclusive growth and development of
economy.
Implement competition policies with an aim to effectuate the
most efficient utilization of economic resources.
Develop and nurture effective relations and interactions with
sectoral regulators to ensure smooth alignment of sectoral regulatory
laws in tandem with the competition law.
Effectively carry out competition advocacy and spread the
information on benefits of competition among all stakeholders to
establish and nurture competition culture in Indian economy.
The Commission comprises a Chairperson and six members. Ashok
Chawla is the current Chairperson of the CCI.
(NB)- Recent event : CCI & pharma :
http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/cci-might-asksun-pharma-ranbaxy-to-divest-products-114073001522_1.html
_______________________________________
More on CCI (Recent Articles)

Q. Write a note on the role played by the Competition Commission of India

(CCI) in ensuring fair competition among companies in India.
A.

RL : http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/avirup-bosethe-dawn-raiders-are-coming-114100101340_1.html
__________________
(Answer)
Competition commission of India (CCI) was set up in 2003, to enforce the
competition Act of 2002. The main objectives included ensuring fair market
practices, ensuring competitive environment, protecting consumer interests. With
India being such large market and slow legal action against malpractices, the

incentives for fraudulent practices were high prior to CCI. CCI has effectively
brought back market ethics by:
1) Interfering when dominant players were misusing their position. E.g. When CCI
found IPL ownership agreements were unfair, they penalized BCCI for it
2) Being vigilant against anti-market practices. E.g. In 2012, they fined 11 cement
companies who formed a cartel and distorted prices
3) Making sure norms are followed by companies. E.g Google was fined as it failed
to comply with directives given by CCI director
4) Along with these, CCI keeps a keen eye on any antitrust practices which might
harm consumer interests or unfavorable for fair market competion
The success of CCI can be attributed to multiple factors which include:
1) Power to Swift action - Against the old methods, CCI conducts 'dawn raids' to
collect evidence
2) Trained staff - The staff of CCI is trained in their work which gives it a large
leverage
3) Independent of any government ministry
Though we have enjoyed the fruits of CCI's success, we must make sure that power
is not misued by CCI in form of harassment against companies as it would lead to
negative signals for gloabl market

_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________________
Patents & its impact :
(Research more later--eg. TRIPS & news)
Indian Patents Act & Section 3(d)
Patent system is a contract between the inventor and authority whereby the
inventor gets exclusive rights for a period of 20 years in return for disclosing full
details of the invention. The main purpose of patent system is to encourage
innovation and eventually results in technological development.
The present Patents Act, 1970 came into force in the year 1972, amending and
incorporating the existing laws relating to Patents and Designs act 1911 in India.
The Patent (amendment) Act 2005 came into force from \1 st January 2005,
which brought changes in the previous patent system of India wherein product
patent was extended to all subjects of technology consisting of food, drugs,
chemicals and micro organisms. Moreover, Section 3(d) introduced in to the said
amendment act 2005 and introduces pharmaceutical product patents in India for
the first time. The Patent (amendment) Act 2005 defines what invention is and
makes it clear that any existing knowledge or thing cannot be patented. The

provision defines that a 'novelty' standard - which, along with 'non-obviousness'

or 'inventive step' and industrial applicability, are the three prerequisites for
'patentability'. "Discovery" essentially refers to finding out something which
already existed in nature but was unknown or unrecognised. Therefore,
discoveries are excluded from patent protection under section 3 of the Indian
Patent Act 1970.
Section 3(d) stipulates that
The mere discovery of a new form of a known substance which does not result
in the enhancement of the known efficacy of that substance or the mere
discovery of any new property or new use for a known substance or of the mere
use of a known process, machine or apparatus unless such known process
results in a new product or employs at least one new reactant, is not patentable.
Eg. Novartis AG vs Union of India(2013) for the drug named Glivec (anti
leukemia drug)

Might be helpful for interview :

The most recent case, Novartis AG v Union of India5 decided by Supreme Court of India in 2
began in the year 1997 with patent application filed by the petitioner before Chennai patent off
name GLIVEC which was slightly a different version of their 1993 patent for ANTI LEUKAEMIA
Assistant Controller of Patent and design, Chennai Patent Office rejected the application unde
Indian patent act 1970. Consequently the petitioner challenged the constitutionality of section 3
at Madras.
The applicant in the present appeal contented on two issues:
A.
Section 3(d) is unconstitutional as it violates the provision of the TRIPS agreeme
B.
The Indian patent act doesn't define the term 'efficacy' and provides unguided po
Hence it is arbitrary, illogical and vague.
In response to the above contention the court held that:
C.
The WTO's Dispute Settlement provides the exclusive remedy and a comprehen
mechanism for violation of TRIPS Agreement. The High Court looked into the conflict betw
law and municipal law and decided that municipal law prevails in such conflict. Moreover,
treaties are not directly enforceable.
D.
The court also rejected the second contention that the provision is providing ung
patent controller being arbitrary on the basis of the term 'efficacy' was undefined and ther
observed that "Efficacy means the ability to produce a desired or intended result. Hence,
the context of section 3(d) would be different, depending upon the result the product unde
desired or intended to produce. In other words, the test of efficacy would depend upon th
the purpose of the product under consideration. Therefore, in the case of a medicine that
disease, the test of efficacy can only be 'therapeutic efficacy.'
___________________________________________________________________________
________________

Therefore it is found that the Novartis' patent application for the beta-crystalline form of Imatini
(polymorph B) did not pass the test of section 3(d) as it did not have any enhanced therapeutic
Supreme Court thereby upheld the observation of the High Court and Indian Patent office and
application filed by the petitioner.
The provision under section 3(d) has been approved by WHO Public Health, Innovation and In
Rights Report, 2006, that countries can adopt legislation and examination guidelines requiring
inventiveness that would prevent ever-greening patents from being granted. The ruling of the N

Indian patent law represents a major victory for community's access to inexpensive medicines
countries and influences the access of medicines to the poor. If Novartis had succeeded the ca
drugs would have likely been approved more widely in India, restricting generic competition an
access to reasonable medicines in the developing world. Moreover the practice is anti compet
practice will enable pharmaceutical MNCs to eliminate competition from the generic manufactu
exorbitant prices for their patented drugs. This in turn will cause adverse effect to public interes
countries since many essential drugs become inaccessible to the general public on account of

CONCLUSION :
E.
Notwithstanding the compatibility of section 3(d) with TRIPs
agreement, it has been comprehended that the words of the relevant
section is inadequate as it lacks clarification. The act does not
specifically define the scope of enhanced efficacy nor is there any
guidelines stated in that effect. Therefore it is important to alter the
wordings of section 3(d) to clarify the meaning of enhanced efficacy.
However, the significant provisions in TRIPS clearly indicate that
member nations have been given significant flexibilities to frame
patent laws which reflect their social and economic needs.
F.
Article 27.1 of the TRIPS agreement does not provide any
definition for the term invention, inventive steps and industrial
application and therefore the member countries are provided
flexibility to establish the criteria of patentability. In the absence of a
precise definition of patentability, there is nothing to prevent the
Section 3(d) from using an "efficacy" requirement, i.e. a higher level of
inventiveness for determining patentability of new forms of known
substances. Accordingly, in order to acquire patent protection in India,
the substance has to go beyond establishing the novelty, inventive
steps, non obviousness and industrial application test set forth in
TRIPS agreement and also fulfill the additional improved efficacy
incorporated under section 3(d).
It is concluded that Section 3(d) does not violate the TRIPS mandate
rather prevents frivolous patenting without neglecting valuable
incremental innovations in pharmaceuticals and is very well
compatible with TRIPS agreement.
_______________________________________________________________________
________________________________
(NB) Make a complete note on TRIPS(WTO) & IPR & all other
related researched articles on patenting available .
Eg. http://www.rajdeepandjoyeeta.com/trips-a-india.html

(NB) Recent News :

*******x*******
US Special '301 Report' on IPR :-

"The Special 301 process is a unilateral measure taken by the

US under their Trade Act, 1974 to create pressure on countries to
increase IPR protection beyond the TRIPS agreement.
Iy's an annual review of the global state of IPR protection and
enforcement, in which it has classified India as a 'priority watch list
country'.
H.
"It is an extra territorial application of the domestic law of a
country and is not tenable under the overall WTO regime,"
I.
Counter :
India has a well established legislative, administrative and judicial
framework to safeguard IPR which meets its obligations under the
Agreement on Trade Related IPRs (TRIPS) while utilising the flexibilities
provided in the international regime to address its developmental
concerns.
And also, WTO provides flexibilities to a country under the TRIPs
agreement in terms of ensuring that medicines reach people of a
country "specially where there is a billion plus population".
G.

Issues that have been flagged in the report include, concerns

over the provision of section 3(d) of the Patent Act, compulsory license
(CL), inclusion of a statement relating to CL for green technologies in
India's National Manufacturing Policy and challenges relating to
enforcement of IP Rights.
K.
@India : Section 3(d) of the Indian Patent Act 1970 does not allow
patent to be granted to inventions involving new forms of a known substance
unless it differs significantly in properties with regard to efficacy.
"Thus, the Indian Patent Act does not allow ever-greening of patents. This is a
cause of concern to the US pharma companies.
J.

India has always maintained its IPR regime is fully compliant with all
international laws and that it would drag the US to the WTO's dispute
settlement mechanism if it takes any adverse unilateral step against
the country in IPR-related matters.
_______________________________________________________________________
_________________________________

Research & Development in Indian Pharma Ind. :Steps: 1. R&D - History & basics ?
A.
RnD in Indian pharma today .
B.
Global RnD in India today-Positives & Negatives
C.
Indian Rnd globally- +ve & -ve's .
(Make it whole)

What is R&D?
R&D stands for research and development. Organisation for
Economic Cooperation and Development defines it as creative
work undertaken on a systematic basis in order to increase the
stock of knowledge, including knowledge of man, culture and
society, and the use of this stock of knowledge to devise new
applications. R&D has become essential in the corporate world as the
requirement for new product design and development has
increased with reducing product life cycles. Firms willing to relinquish
current profits to enhance future performance by investing in R&D are
expected to be more competitive in the long run.
In India :
Indian pharmaceutical companies have long been criticized for their
low level of investment in R&D, both in India and other parts of the
world. In India, most companies spend a fraction of their sales, less
than 1%, on R&D. As a result, India has often been viewed as a thirdworld country that stumbles along by copying western products, aided
by lax patent policies. The shift in the pharmaceutical space, the
challenge for India in terms of doing more of the design of these
larger molecules will be the shortage of expertise and the lack of an
entrepreneurial ecosystem.
Because of involvement in TRIPs (Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual
Property Rights- an international agreement administered by the
World Trade Organization (WTO) that sets down minimum standards
for many forms of intellectual property (IP) regulation mainly Product
patent.) by India in 1995, now R&D become essential need for
pharma-company to survive in the market.
History:
IntroductIon :
One objective of the post-1994 policy regime was the incentivisation
of
pharmaceuticals research and development (R&D). Innovative
products were
given exemption from price control; a number of financial schemes
were
made available to firms for undertaking R&D; technology
collaborations
were brought under the automatic approval route; and most
importantly,
patent rights were granted for a period of 20 years for products as
well as
processes.
1.

The 1948 Industrial Policy Resolution viewed foreign

knowledge and technology as important instruments for the

2.
3.

4.

5.

industrialisation of the country.

Pharma & drugs,one of 18 industries recognised.
Ipr,1956 & 1977,categorised schedules onto which pharma
will fall into,thus emphasising the leadership role of public sector.
In pursuit of these policies, the Government of India
established five public sector companies in India of which two
played very important roles - Hindustan Antibiotics Ltd. (HAL) and
Indian Drugs and Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (IDPL)
The public sector research laboratories under the Council for
Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR), especially Central Drug
Research Institute (CDRI), Indian Institute of Chemical
Technology (IICT) and National Chemical Laboratory (NCL) also
contributed considerably to the growth of the Indian
pharmaceutical industry.
The Patents Act 1970 recognised only process patents in
pharmaceuticals
and Indian companies were required to invent new processes
for the manufacture of patented drugs. The Patents Act 1970
came as a response to the recommendations of various
pharmaceutical enquiry committees and the Governments own
experience of product patents blocking technology capacity
building.
Therefore,
The outcome of all these concerted efforts was the emergence of
a
strong domestic pharmaceutical industry, which could tread an
independent
path to growth, making the country self-reliant in the production
of the entire
range of formulations that are required to meet the healthcare
needs of the
Country including drugs for the neglected diseases, transforming
the drug
prices scenario in the country from one of the highest in the world
to one
of the lowest in the world , reducing the time lag for the
introduction of a
drug in India after its launch in the global market from more than
15 years
to less than 5 years, and earning the nation foreign exchange by
way of a
positive trade balance.
By the beginning of the 1990s, Indian pharmaceutical
industry was globally recognised as a powerhouse in reverse
engineering.

ChangIng trends In r&d

The global pharmaceuticals industry is highly research intensive

and innovative firms spend on average about 15 per cent sales turn
over in R&D.
However, R&D expenditure as percentage of sales turnover (R&D
intensity) of Indian pharmaceuticals industry remained less than 2 per
cent throughout the period till the beginning of the new millenniums.
The report of the Hathi Committee (Government of India 1975)
observed that R&D intensity was only 1.1 per cent in 1973.
the low R&D intensity is explained by the fact that Indian companies
were engaged primarily in the manufacture of generics and
development of non-infringing processes and not in new drug
development, which involves huge investments. The process patent
regime under the Patents Act 1970 enabled Indian companies to
manufacture and market patented drugs using non-infringing
processes
With the change in the Governments approach to the private sector
and the creation of new incentive mechanisms (product patent rights),
the R&D intensity began to increase from 2000-01 and reached its
peak in 2005-06. This increase has entirely been accounted for by the
private sector and the R&D intensity of the public sector industry still
remains below the 2 per cent mark.
EmergIng r&d strategIes In the PharmaceutIcal sector:Indian pharmaceutical firms have been engaging in various kinds of
business collaborations in R&D with MNCs. Such collaborations are to
be expected in the new environment where the foreign technology
and capital have been viewed favourably in accelerating the process
of competence building.
There are broadly three kinds of alliances involving MNCs: contract
research and manufacturing services (CRAMS),
collaborative research projects (CRPs) and out-licensing and
in-licensing.
1.

Contract Research and Manufacturing Services CRAMS are

essentially outsourcing arrangements. CRAMS include
manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients and
formulations; chemistry and biology research for new drug
compounds; pre-clinical trials; and clinical trials.
Reason :
Foreign companies are keen to outsource their production for
containing their cost.
1.
India has become a favourable destination as it has the
largest number of USFDA approved plants outside the US.
2.
The low cost of conducting research in India is an important
factor for the outsourcing of research to India. R&D activities in
India are estimated to be 60-65 per cent cheaper as compared to
the costs in the US

3.

Labour cost in India is in the range of 10-15 per cent of similar

costs in the US.
4.
25-50 per cent reduction in the upfront capital requirements in
setting up R&D projects in India due to locally fabricated
equipment and high quality local technology/engineering skills.
5.
India provides a large population which is ethnically and
genetically diverse and suffering from various ailments.
6.
English speaking population and a well developed
communication network with information technology capabilities
are also advantages in favour of India in clinical trials.
Note :
The contract research arrangements taking place in India per se do
not result in any technology transfer and in that sense does not
amount to competence building. However, they provide an
opportunity for firms to improve their skills in specialised areas of
new drug discovery and development and to strengthen their
finances.
1.

Collaborative Research Projects :

In CRPs, the MNC and Indian partner jointly discover drug
molecules and develop them. In CRPs, unlike in CRAMS, risk is
shared proportionally. The MNC works closely with the Indian
partner in the discovery process and the
clinical development is the responsibility of the MNC
In CRPs, royalty is an essential component of the arrangement,
unlike the CRAMS. This would ensure a steady stream of income
to Indian firms.
As for CRAMS, in CRPs also Indian firms are subordinate allies,
who are entitled only to a fraction of the total benefits accruing to
the product. Since the Indian firms work jointly with the MNC
partners, the chances are better for building up specialised
skills as compared to CRAMS. The royalty payments involved
often are in double digit percentages and this is a major incentive
for Indian firms to enter into CRPs.

1.

Outlicensing :- is the most widely adopted strategy of major

Indian firms. They independently develop the molecule up to a
certain stage and then license it out to an MNC partner for further
development.
Indian firms receive upfront and milestone payments and royalty
(depending on the terms of the contract), on successful marketing
of the drug.
Outlicensing was considered a win-win strategy because on the
one hand it augments the scarcity of resources in

finance and research skills of the Indian firms and on the other it
gives the MNCs access to promising compounds at considerably
lower prices.
MNCs are not willing to pay much for compounds out-licensed in
the initial stages of development.
Whenever out-licensing is required, most Indian firms now pursue
the strategy of developing the molecule till phase II. Valuation
goes up considerably when the molecule passes phase II.
NOTE :
In all kinds of partnerships involving MNCs, Indian firms always
have a subordinate status which may in the long run result in a
dependency relationship of Indian firms with the MNCs. This can
have deleterious consequences to the country in many ways. Being
trusted allies in the global strategy of MNCs, Indian companies may
lose interest in those therapeutic areas which do not have global
presence (for example, tropical country diseases). These allies
might also withhold themselves from exercising
compulsory licensing provisions, the TRIPS instruments to counter
any abuse of monopoly rights of the patents.
# Other areas of R&D :
Novel drug delivery systems
Developing NDDS for existing drugs has been a priority area of
research for most leading firms in India. Developing an NDDS is
relatively much easier and involves less investment.
A regulatory requirement with NDDS involves only the establishment
of its bioequivalence with the normal brand. This essentially means
that the drug in its new mode of delivery provides similar
concentration in the blood as the original drug would do and hence
has the same effect in the body.
Strategy of Govt. (or,Role of the Public
Sector) :
The role of the public sector in addressing the market failure of the
new patent regime in the country.
One, the public sector pharma companies are encouraged to
undertake R&D on drugs for the neglected diseases. Two,
provide additional incentives to the private sector in the form of
public private partnerships (PPPs) to conduct R&D on neglected
diseases. The first option is not feasible as most of the earlier
champions have become sick already. HAL, IDPL, and BCPW have been
declared as sick units by the Board of Industrial and Financial
Reconstruction
(Even after Arun Maira Panel recommendations for revival of these
sick PSU's , nothing has happened in those lines)
Hence,left with option 2.i.e :

PPPs have been justified as initiatives to synergise the strengths of the

public funded R&D institutes such as CSIR
laboratories, universities and academic institutions and the pharma
industry. The collaborative research programme under Drugs and the
Pharmaceuticals Research Programme (DPRP) of the Department of
Science and Technology (DST), initiated in 1994-95, is a PPP specific to
the pharma industry.Under the collaborative programme, research is
done jointly by the publicly funded
R&D institution and the pharma company under the monitoring of
DST.
Cons with PPP's : These partnerships, however, have been catering
to the need of the industry to effectively participate in global R&D
networks of pharma MNCs than to the need of the country to address
the problem of the failure of the market in incentivizing the firms to
bring out new therapies for neglected diseases. So, PPP are not an
effective alternative to address the market failure.
Need of hour : Revival of the public sector manufacturing industry in
pharmaceutical sector is the viable solution to address the problem of
lack of innovation in the area of neglected diseases. The Open Source
Drug Discovery (OSDD) project, an
innovative initiative by the government to promote R&D efforts on
neglected diseases.
Important :
The proposed Bill The Protection and Utilization of Publicly
Funded Intellectual Property Bill, 2008 needs to be analysed in
this context. This Bill was presented in Parliament by the Ministry of
Science & Technology, Government of India, and is currently being
reviewed by the parliamentary Standing Committee on Science,
Technology, Environment and Forests.
This Bill is modeled after the Bayh-Dole Act of US and hence
better known as Indian Bayh-Dole. The objectives of the Bill
include, among others: (a) commercialisation of intellectual property
created out of publicly funded R&D; (b) promotion of a culture of
innovation in the country; and (c) minimising the dependence of
universities, academic and research
institutions on government funding.
Apart from the PPPs there are other incentives also available for the
R&D in the pharmaceutical sector. The Drug Policy provides incentives
in the form of exemption from price control.
DPRPThe DPRP also has soft loan schemes for pharma industry R&D
projects and grant in aid for clinical trials to pharma industry projects
on developing drugs for neglected diseases.
The grant in aid programme was constituted specifically to incentivise
R&D on neglected diseases, when it was found that the

collaborative programme and the loan scheme of DPRP were not

attracting investment on neglected diseases. As compared to other
schemes of the DPRP, there are only very few takers for the grant in
aid scheme. Despite grants been made
available to conduct clinical trials, which is the most expensive phase
in process of new drug devlpmnt.
Also, R&D firms in India also benefit from tax and duty exemptions .
R&D intensive companies (Gold Standard Companies) are eligible
for the benefit of 200 per cent weighted tax exemption. Gold
Standard Companies identified on the basis of certain criteria
including investing at least 3 per cent of sales turnover
in R&D, employing at least 200 scientist in India, have filed at least 10
patent applications in India based on research done in India, etc

Summary & Conclusion :

The policy reforms aimed at boosting the pharmaceutical R&D
include liberalisation of foreign investment and foreign technology
collaborations, exemptions from tax obligations, exemptions from
drug price regulation and
product patent rights to pharmaceutical innovations.
The R&D profile of Indian pharmaceutical industry includes
development of generics, new drug delivery systems and new
drug development. The data on patents granted to leading Indian
pharma firms by PTO shows that patents on new products account for
only 5 per cent and the rest has been on new processes, new dosage
forms and drug delivery systems.
The policy reforms, however, paved the way for the globalisation of
Indian pharmaceutical industry it has now become part of the global
production and development network of MNCs. (CRAMS,Out licesnsing
etc.)

Note : Now that you got the gist of the topic,make sure to utilize the summary & c
pdf for your knowledge.
Pdf Link: Here.
NB: NR-- Declaration of Helinski.
***********************************************************************
********************
Nice PDF. Skim it. Take out points & add It to the main article.
Technical add-on pdf :
Here.

***********************************************************************
*********
Newspaper article attachments :
Reasons for lack/loss of pharma R&D in India :
the R&D in pharmaceutical is entangled with multiple obstructions
like:
(a) Ecosystem: Few research personnel and absence of sound
research facilities is a persistent problem of pharmaceutical industry.
It drives them towards USA.
(b) Red tapism: Multilayered approval, bureaucratic apathy and
stringent control measure delay the approval by upto 1yr, while the
same approvals take just 28 days in USA.
(c) Impractical rules: Rules related to drug trails like video graphing of
trials lack practical applicability for eg female contraceptives often
suffer due to this.
(d) Pricing: Price is a motivator for invention. With a lot of drugs in
essential list inventors often restrict themself due to cost benefit
analysis.
(e) Overseas attraction: Especially in USA where supporting
ecosystem and absence of generic drugs to challenge the monopoly of
drug manufacturers, coupled with subsidies have great attractive
force.
(f) India needs more drug research. It is home to a host of tropical
diseases that do not interest global drug makers; that R&D has to
come from within the country. But unless the government gets its act
together, domestic drug development will not happen.
Attach to the main page article(important) :
The pharma industry across the world is likely to get boost owing to increased
urbanisation and change in lifestyle patterns. According to rating agency Fitch,
the Indian healthcare sector is expected to reach $100 billion by 2015 from the
current $ 65 billion, growing at around 20 per cent a year.
The sector, which was opened to 100 per cent FDI in 2001, encountered a series
of takeovers between 2006 and 2010, Ranbaxy by Dai-ichi, Shanta Biotechs by
Sanofi Aventis, and more recently Piramal Healthcare by Abbott Laboratories.
In future also, India will see the largest number of mergers and acquisitions
(M&As) in the pharma and healthcare sector and the foreign acquisitions of
Indian companies will enable the domestic companies to gain a foothold in the
western regulated markets, to diversify their portfolios, acquire recognised
brands, and gain R&D capabilities, which is indispensable for the Indian pharma
companies. The multi-national pharma companies are now becoming aggressive
in the Indian market to focus on emerging markets. Apart from acquisitions,

they have also been targeting growth opportunities through in-licensing deals
with domestic generic players both for domestic as well other emerging markets.
Pricing of drugs continues to be one of the most important issues in
the pharma world, as affordable healthcare remains a priority for
governments worldwide. The pharma sector is one such where the
products are seldom purchased by choice, therefore market forces do
not impact prices except for generic drugs. The rising cost of R&D for
new molecules, as well as spiralling healthcare budgets and mounting
governmental pressure to reduce drug prices have inspired companies
to ramp up their generic business. India tops the world in exporting
generic medicines worth $11 billion. Recent drug pricing policy has
also led to negative impact on pharma ind.
R&D :
Research and development is the key to the future of pharma industry.
The tough increasing competition has emphasised Indias Pharma
companies to invest in Research and Development (R&D); India ranks
globally eighth position, spending $30 billion .
The average R&D expenditure by Indian pharma companies is close to
6 per cent.
Generics to dominate with share of patented products rising to a
sizeable 10 per cent by 2015.
In near-term factors like, currency appreciation and approvalbased FDI in brownfield pharma projects may be the negative triggers
but in long term the impact will not be significant enough to hamper
the prospects of the sector.
Investment in R&D :
R&D focus is increasing in India. In 2012, Ranbaxy successfully
launched the countrys first new molecular entity (NME) Synriam, an
anti-malarial drug. Other companies such as Dr Reddys, Lupin, and
Wockhardt have also increased their R&D investments recently. Dr
Reddys R&D investment increased by 25.2 per cent from $103 million
in 2011 to $129 million, while Lupins grew by 21.7 per cent to $118
million in 2012 from $97 million in 2011. Furthermore, Lupins Novel
Drug Discovery and Development (NDDD) is currently focused on
various therapeutic areas, including oncology, pain management, and
infectious diseases.
Riding on back of the generic opportunity, Indian companies have
capitalised on the growth prospects to emerge as formidable players
in the US generics markets and this will drive the growth for the
overall Contract Research and Manufacturing Services (CRAMS)
segment which is foreseeing the future generic market buoyancy.
Globally,
Apart from the developed markets, the Indian pharma companies
have also been eyeing growth opportunities in some of the other fast-

growing emerging markets such Russia, South Africa and some of the
countries in Latin America (Brazil, Mexico) and South-East Asia,to take
advantage of the rapidly increasing insurance coverage and economic
growth in these regions.
The true fact is that the continuous, liberal, and collaboration by the
Government and pharma industry hold the key to achieving Indias full
potential.
***********************************************************************
******************************
Protecting Access to Medicines :
http://www.livemint.com/Specials/9xqAvztVKgE7Dmrr4WsEAK/India-mustprotect-access-to-medicine.html

*** Updates***
Union Budget 2014 & Pharma
Sector :
The provisions and announcements in the budget are focussed towards the
Government's commitment of "Health for All", especially "Free Drug Service" and
"Free Diagnosis Service". To achieve the same, Government announced some
positive steps such as opening of new AIIMS like institution, creation of new drug
testing laboratories, 15 Model Rural Health Research Centres, strengthening of at
least five research centres (which interalia includes research in bio-medical
technology devices).
On the indirect tax front, while the government has provided for full exemption
from customs duty for HIV/AIDS drugs and diagnostic kits imported under
National AIDS Control Programme funded by the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, TB
and Malaria, on the whole pharmaceutical sector does not seem to have much to
cheer about. Levy of service tax on clinical trials on humans is likely to add to the
challenges which this industry is facing around the regulatory policies. Also, while
FM addressed the issue surrounding the inverted duty structure for various
sectors, the pharma sector seems to have been left out, this has been a long
standing demand.None of its expectations have been met including the demand
to spur research and development in pharma and removing Minimum Alternate
Tax (MAT) on pharma Special Economic Zones (SEZs).
On the direct taxes front, the Government has lowered threshold limit of
investment in plant & machinery for providing an investment allowance of 15%
from INR 100 crores to INR 25 crores. A welcome move for pharma companies
looking for fresh investments in manufacturing assets.
The clinical trials were already moving out of India and an additional tax will not
help improve matters.

Health-care players are however upbeat on the ability to leverage Real Estate
Investment Trusts (REITS). "It would help create infrastructure and get long-term
funding,"

************************************************************************
*******************
What Pharma sector expected from Budget ?
Industry wanted to "promote the setting up of vertically integrated manufactur

facilities for essential drugs, at a competitive scale." or

setting up "industry clusters" where the government could provide a package of incent
and common utilities to make large scale production facilities at low cost possible.
Tapping the "infrastructure of sick PSUs.",leveraged thtrough PPP's .
"Engage private players to manage operations so that optimal utilization of the
existing capacity is ensured.These capacities need to be enhanced in order to achieve
economic scale of production."
"For long term, the government could offer fiscal incentives during the formativ
years to encourage setting up of large-scale pharma and chemical clusters in close pro
to each other to enable companies to build scale and vertical integration."
Ensure good standard of affordable health care facilities is provided to more pe
especially in the Tier II and III cities and towns of India. This can be made possible by w
partnerships between the government and the private players, where the government
the role of a payer and the private players provide the service."
On price control,
"A regulatory framework for pricing of drugs so as to ensure availability of required me
- "essential medicines" - at reasonable prices even while providing sufficient opportunit
innovation and competition."
On Intellectual Property Rights (IPRs), it sees the need for "setting up of specia
courts which are equipped to adjudicate upon technical and scientific issues involving
pharmaceutical patents."
On FDI into pharmaceuticals, feels government needs to address some grey are
like time frame for FIPB clearance and others but at the same time, says, "present polic
FDI in Pharmaceuticals should be continued with specified riders for approval in case of
brownfield investments."

********************************************************************************************
(NB) Difference b/w 'Greenfield' & 'Brownfield' Investments? & other type of investments ?

Read the interview : http://blogs.reuters.com/india/2014/07/04/budget-2014biocon-chief-wants-more-rd-incentives-fewer-essential-drugs/

_______________________________________________________________________________
______________________

Recent case of " Pay-for-Delay "

pdf1

Read this "P-f-D" pdf attached : Here . (summarize all notes)

pdf2

(Recent article: http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/bhupeshbhandari-the-perils-of-pay-for-delay-114073101860_1.html )

(In depth article -- read full & summarize along with pdf's bits :
http://www.financialexpress.com/news/proscribe-payfordelay/1169607/0 )

*************************************************************
#2) Clinical Trial (Drug Trial)

The entire regulatory framework pertaining to clinical trials needs

to be overhauled and a clear, coherent and succinct set of stand-alone
rules needs to be introduced for satisfying the principles laid down by the
Supreme Court for approving trials . Examine these principles set by the
SC, the present regulatory framework and its drawbacks.

The genetic background, and the physical built of Indians is different from the
Westerners. This makes it imperative that any medicine should be tried on
patients from within the country so that they know the effective dosage level,
and the side-effects which might occur is known as clinical trials.
Indias clinical research market projected to cross USD 1 billion by 2020. This
is due to the large and easily accessible population with lower costs when
compared to the developed world.
Keeping this in view 3 principals have been set down by the Supreme Court.
Assessment of risk vs. benefits for patients,
Innovations to existing therapeutic options and
Benefits to medical needs of the country.
Present Regulatory Framework
Currently the legal architecture for clinical trials is governed by Schedule Y of
Drugs & Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The Indian Council of Medical Research, the
apex regulatory body for clinical trials. Also an approval from the Drugs
Controller General of India (DCGI) is mandatory to conduct clinical trials in
India.
Drawbacks of the present system
Most victims are of illegal clinical trials in which they are not well informed
about the practice (especially vulnerable, underprivileged section of people &
Children as part of clinical trials)
No risk assessment and inadequate compensation for victims of clinical trials
Ethical concerns such as people not being treated as human beings, rather
seen as subjects for research
Improper monitoring of clinical trials and uncontrolled & private clinical trials
Trial results not under the ambit of RTI.
**************************************************************************
**
CLINICAL TRIALS IN INDIA :

A very nice & comprehensive article :

http://www.legalservicesindia.com/article/article/clinical-trial-regulation-inindia-678-1.html
Ranjit Roy Choudhury Committee report : Current Scenario of trials in India.
(pdf)
SC's decision on trials in India :(+ Implications )
Hindu Articles:
Written by R R Choudhury : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tpopinion/a-steel-frame-for-clinical-trials/article6479812.ece
Reference Material : http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-cdsco-not-tocertify-clinical-trial-process-2027994
Implications: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/companies/clinical-trialspharma-firms-labs-told-to-justify-benefits-for-india/article6401864.ece
Putting patients 1st : http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/opinion/puttingpatients-first/article6026059.ece?ref=relatedNews
Solution : http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/features/smartbuy/technews/infy-unveils-cloud-solution-for-clinical-trial/article6082512.ece?
ref=relatedNews
_______________________________________________________________________________
___
PDF : Inadequacies of Clinical Trials in India.

************************XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX***********************
******

**Health in India** :
HUNGER :
Q. (Insights)
It is said that number of hungry people across the world has not decreased
much. In the light of recent UN figures on hunger, critically comment.
1. Very nice & important article :
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/opinion/sunday/counting-thehungry.html?
emc=edit_ae_20140928&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=49615428&_r=0
___________ Do some more research ________________
(Answers from Insights)
One of the millennium development goals is to halve the hunger between
1990 and 2015. Recently released UN data says that around 25% of this has
been achieved.

But critics point out that the figures of hunger for 1990 have been
periodically revised upwards to effect a favorable light on the efforts. What
they dont see is that statistical models evolve overtime and these methods
are equally applied to both the reference data and the current data. That is, if
1990 figures were revised upwards, so are the 2014 figures, not affecting the
percentage reduction.
Another criticism is that this statistical jugglery is performed to ensure
funding. UNO has never been accused of any such disintegrity. Besides, UN
funds are supplied mainly by governments and they dont need to be
impressed, like private players, to donate.
In short, global hunger has definitely come down from 1990, and there is no
sound reason to discredit UN figures. The world should pat itself on the back,
and keep going to achieve the stated goal of 50% which is well within reach.
********************************************XXXXXXXXXXXXXX***************
*********************
A.

(Very Nice Article)

The world cannot afford to talk about hunger without addressing
climate change, food production without sustainability or growth without
good nutrition. Comment.

A.

RL : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-foodsystem-for-the-future/article6455635.ece

______________________
** Might be helpful for interview(this article) To quote,make some quotes on
" Vicious Cycle or Interlinkages" etc.
Which should be denoting that " Everything in the world/nature is interlinked"
***********
(Answer from Insights)
Removal of poverty and hunger was one of the eight targets of MDG, which
cant be achieved by its deadline of 2015. This requires a course correction
the way we deal with hunger.
Currently every one of nine people in the world still suffers from hunger.
Hunger will assume crisis proportion in future when world population is
expected to cross nine billion. Climate change has already shown its impact
by disrupting crop yield, decreasing nutrient content and the resulting food
inflation. Increased frequency and intensity of natural disasters will further
worsen the problem of food insecurity.
Undoubtedly, the bottom strata of society will be worst hit pushing more
people to the cycle of poverty and disease. Out of desperateness, they often
take to unsustainable means to exploit natural resources- clearing forest for
cultivation, use of firewood instead of any clean fuel, destroying wetland etc.
All these catalyse climate change setting a vicious cycle of poverty and
climate change, one reinforcing the other.
Lack of food and nutrition affects physical growth and mental development of
children. Such semi-able of disable people increase the health expenditure of
economy without contributing their due to development. Retarded
development of economy wont financially permit to look after them, again
creating a cycle.

Thus development and environment protection are not either or choice but
each needs the other. This new approach is key to solve many pressing
problems the world is facing today.
Addn'l Points :
important factor is land for cultivation is limited and would be further limited
by submergence effects of climate change leading to migration of people
and extreme weather events resulting in floods droughts.there would be
change in crop patterns , staple crops productivity would be compromised
may even lead to extiction therefore adoption of new dietary patterns and we
would be compelled to find ways to maintain adequate nutrition with given
levels of productivity. Hence there would be decreased availability of food
having domino effect on prices ( affordabillity) , access, quality of food
resulting in negative impact on these imp pillars of food security. Thus
climate change needs to be factored in along with rising populatio depleting
natural resources to develop sustainable agriculture practices if we want to
tackle hunger.
***********************************************************************************************
********************

#2) Universal Health Assurance Mission :

A.

Write a note on the proposed Universal Health Assurance Mission

(UHAM)

A.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/swasthyabima-yojana-to-be-merged-with-uham/article6521159.ece
___________________
(Ans)
Universal Health Assurance Mission is an ambitious mission of government to
expand the ambit of insurance cover. Though mostly targeted to cover BPL
population by subsuming various health insurance schemes like RSBY, SSY etc it
also aims to cover peoples above poverty line.

Salient Features
(a) BPL and subsequently APL will be covered. While BPL will get free of cost
treatment, APL will bear an ultra low cost.
(b) Provide a continum of health care by providing primary, secondary and tertiary
care along with ambulance services.
(c) Range of free drugs that include allopathic, homeopathic and ayurveda drug will
be given to patient.
The UHAM aims to reduce the premium paid by reaping benefits of scale of
operation. This will simultaneously enhance the insurance coverage of the nation
and in turn expand the poor social security net.
These high goal do face certain challenges that need to be sorted out to make it a
success. Among many excessively inflated bill of private hospitals will be a major
cause of concern.

The total inflated bill of the entire group of hospitals

****************************************************************
Universal Health Care :
Universal Health Care (UHC) is a complex idea and contains several
prerequisites that need to be carefully incorporated into its conceptualisation,
design and implementation. Critically examine these prerequisites.
A.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/missing-links-inuniversal-health-care/article6619739.ece

________________________
Digitization of Health :
Write a note on the importance of digitization and adoption of IT tools in
health care system, especially for India.
A.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/diagnosis-indigital-india/article6628390.ece

____________________________
Smoking & India : Law s :
The Indian governments proposal to ban the sale of loose cigarettes
represents a simple and progressive means of delivering healthcare to the
population without incurring vast costs. Critically comment.
A.

http://www.business-standard.com/article/opinion/the-right-smokesignals-114112701305_1.html

____________________________

Related Articles to Health :

News Articles that has relevance to Health &
Family Welfare in India : (assort later @ IYB)
(Link 'em up under Ministry of Health & Family Welfare)
-categorically.
_______________________________________________________________________
_____________________
FOOD ADULTERATION IN INDIA :1.
2.

Concise pdf of Adulteration & Adulterants.

Govt's steps/intervention chronology :
a. Prevention of Food Adulteration Programme :

http://www.archive.india.gov.in/sectors/health_family/food_prevention.ph

p?pg=1
b. Food safety & standards Act,2006(FSS Act) --- led to-- FSS Authority
of India (FSSAI)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Safety_and_Standards_Authority_of_Ind
ia
c. Govt Certification marks :
--- AGMARK : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agmark
--- FPO(Food Process Order) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FPO_mark
******************************************************************************
**************************
Current News on topic: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tpnational/jump-in-number-of-convictions-in-food-adulterationcases/article6414113.ece
(Note the cases & the penalty for such cases)

Answers from Insights(Add them in your answers)

Effects:
HEALTH: It leads to worm infections, food poisoning, many health effects including cancer
depending upon the adulteration composition. Sometimes it may also lead to death of the
consumer.
FINANCIAL For poor people who consume low price food items, PDS items, food
adulteration pushes them into abject poverty by increasing their medical expenses.
SOCIAL: Some veg-food items adulterated with animal carcasses will affect the religious
feelings of people when comes to light. Eg: Sugar adulterated with animal bone ash.
Hence selling adulterated food is playing with the lives of the people in every way possible.
Strict punishments along with frequent checks and proper vigilance must take place to
reduce deaths due to Food adulteration.

_________________________________________________________________________
(nb)
Govt effort missing following points can help
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006(food adulteration act 1954 stands
repealed after this)
Food inspectors
testing labs and penaties(All mentioned under FSS Act)
AGMark scheme
FPO Mark
mandatory for food products manufacturers to display complete info abot
food product on label
__________________________________________________________________________

Some of the health hazards are as follows:

1) It can cause several diseases like Cancer, Liver disorder, Diarrhea etc.
2) Leads to malnutrition and accumulation of poison in body
3) Accidental adulteration (Bihar Mid-Day Meal case) can cause death
4) Lead Chromate used in Turmeric can cause anemia, paralysis, brain damage and
abortions
Some of the steps taken by Government to check the adulteration
1) Enacted Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954. The item falls under concurrent list,
the GOI have taken the responsibility to itself for brining uniformity in food standards
2) Its objective is to plug in the loopholes, ensure stringent punishments and involve civil
society in the effort
3) It ensures periodical training to staff including inspectors
4) Creating consumer awareness through various channels
5) provisioned labels like ISI, Agromark to ensure safe food standards
6) Ensures survey cum monitoring activities regularly
7) It supports the central food laboratories
India shouldnt forget the Cooking oil Fiasco in late 1990s and ensure tough measures and its
implementation to make the food safe and healthy.
___________________________________________________
(good points)

it would be better if u mentions three more points.

food safety comes under concurrent list. hence states cooperation is
needed.
FSSAI comes under ministry of health. it rarely look at the issue of
adulteration in public domain which is happening in PDS under ministry of
consumer affairs.
much of our standards are actually not being applied in unorganized sector.
******************************************************************************
*************
#2) NATIONAL MENTAL HEALTH POLICY :
1.
A.

Write a note on the important features of recently released

government of Indias new National Mental Health Policy.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/newhealth-policy-pushes-for-decriminalising-suicidebids/article6490706.ece
______________________________
Also,check the 'Bill" :

(Answer to above Q.)

Recognizing that Persons with mental illness constitute a vulnerable section of
society and are subject to discrimination in our society, Govt. launched National
Mental health Policy recently. India already have National Mental Health Program
from 1982.

The Mental Health Policy calls for recognition of mental disorders and more
accessible and holistic treatment of mental illnesses. Other important features are1) It lays guidelines for the mental health care services being offered.
2) It recommends for the decriminalization of attempted suicides because it has been
a major cause of deaths among such people.
3) It advocates for change in attitude towards mental illnesses. It plans to ensure
availability and accessibility of minimum mental health care for all, particularly to
the most vulnerable and underprivileged sections of population.
4) A plan Mental Health Action Plan 365 is also launched which spells out specific
roles for the centre, state, local bodies and civil societies.
As we know, families bear disproportionate financial, physical, mental, emotional
and social burden of providing treatment and care for their relatives with mental
illness. Persons with mental illness should be treated like other persons with health
problems.
The environment around them should be made conducive to facilitate recovery
rehabilitation and full participation in society. The New Mental health Policy
provides some hope in this noble direction.
**************************************************************************
#3) HEALTH INSURANCE IN INDIA :
A.

Critically analyse the changing scenario of health insurance in

India. Examine the implications of its deep penetration in India.

A.

RL : http://www.business-standard.com/article/pf/40-years-ago-andnow-health-insurance-from-only-govt-to-baby-steps-by-the-privatesector-114101300008_1.html
_______________
(Answers)
While in the early 80s, concept of health insurance was not known much, today it
has become a necessity due to rising health care costs. Health insurance in India was
evolved with the Employees State Insurance Schemes as 'Mediclaim' initially and
many private companies started offering insurance policies later.

Health insurance initially offered only reimbursement for hospitalization treatment.

With the evolving health-care facilities, move private hospitals and increasing life

expectancy, the limits on the surgeon's fees, surgical and other procedures were
removed.
The premium and the policy sum are also increasing every year. With the advent of
service sector, employers offered health insurance as a benefit to retain employees.
This sector saw an annual growth of over 35 per cent in last 10 years.
IRDA took steps to increase coverage. It includes bringing in more transparency in
the industry through monitoring of consumer-related aspects, such as market
conduct, allowed portability of policies, consumer education and creation of an
integrated platform for redressal of customer grievances.
Govt launched the Rashtriya Swasthya Bima Yojana a social assistance scheme for
below the poverty line families. Subsequently, many states started state-sponsored
insurance schemes. Govt. also launched New Pension Scheme. These helped widen
the reach of health insurance.
The deep penetration of the health insurance will be beneficial to consumer as
health-care costs are rising exponentially. Insurance addresses four key needs in a
customer's economic lifecycle, which include savings, protection, investment and
retirement.
Govt.'s recent move to increasing FDI limits in insurance sector will also help in deep
penetration. Penetration can be increased if insurance companies can access more
capital. Thus increase in FDI to 49 percent is important. Also service tax on health
insurance should be removed and a separate limit for tax exemption for life
insurance should be announced.
Note :
Welfare schemes pointed out should be linked to Welfare state as projected in
our preamble and DPSP.

********************************************************************
A.

A.

***Pvt & Public Sector in India's Healthcare :

To reform healthcare sector in India contribution by both private and
public sectors is crucial. Critically analyse the strengths of these two
sectors and how they can optimally contribute in reforming healthcare in
India.
RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/reformingthe-health-care-sector/article6536234.ece

______________________________________________________________
*** Note on "National Health Assurance Mission" :
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/soon-regulator-for-healthoutreach/article6562401.ece

________________________

*** India's Sterilization Programme :

Write critical note on Indias sterilization program and its gender dimensions.
A.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/why-is-family-planningalways-a-womans-burden/article6592883.ece

________________________

**Diseases :
EBOLA : ANALYSIS & IMPACT ON INDIA :
Contents:
Ebola --Virus & Disease ( Search Wiki )
-- A complete analysis.
Ebola in India - its impact & etc.
& what India must do .?
Role of foreign agencies(viz UN ) in controlling the outbreak.
Miscellaneous.
*********************************************************************************
***
A.

(Insights)
Examine why is Ebola a concern for India and what should India be
doing. ?

Sources : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/for-an-indianpivot-in-the-ebola-fight/article6433067.ece
Answer(frm Insight) :

*********************************************************************************
******
More on Ebola :
A.
Write a critical note on the potential effects of Ebola virus disease
on the global economy.

A.

RL: http://www.business-standard.com/article/currentaffairs/calculating-the-grim-economic-costs-of-ebola-outbreak114101500039_1.html
Q2. Nigeria became first country to contain the Ebola virus transmission.
Examine how it was successful and what lessons can be learnt from its
experience by other affected nations.

A.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/ebola-andlessons-from-nigeria/article6531860.ece

Q3.
Write a note on the aid of technological tools such as big data in fighting Ebola
like outbreaks.
A.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/big-dataaids-ebola-battle/article6536235.ece

_________________

TB IN INDIA (Make a detailed analysis & report)

A.

If India wishes to end its TB crisis, we must begin by providing

prompt diagnosis and treatment to our missing million. Yet this is unlikely
to happen unless we transform our current TB programme while
simultaneously engaging the vast private sector. Comment.

A.

RL : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/fightingindias-silent-epidemic/article6494813.ece
_____________________________
(Answer)
** Structure :
First of all you should have told that TB has been declared a notified disease. this
adherence will ensure its epidemiological study. An adage goes "What gets measured
gets managed".

If you are engaging private sector then ways to ensure its adherence means how will to
force accountability on private players.
second private sector engages only when they are incentivised. How will govt give them
incentive to ensure their effective participation. some suggestions like provide them free
diagnostic kit, etc should have been included.
third some basic info like india's vast private healthcare system manages 60 tb patients.
this shows how imperative their participation is.

Fourth private sector is highly fragmented and consists of provider of various

qualities.how will you ensure an uniform quality across entire spectrum as it is needed
to effectively counter TB
Fifth though under revised TB program in india there is PPP but its not efficacious as
there is a trust deficit between the two and that leads to more harm than good.
Private players should be treated as govt goodwill ambassadors that effectively
participate in emancipation of this silent epidemic and disseminate best practices
across patients to effectively treat them.
Turning down of robust structural adherence in TB program to flexible PPP initiatives
that will ensure much enthused participation.
***********************************************************
DENGUE ( Make detailed NR )
A.

Rapid urbanization and globalization in India have created new

habitats for mosquito breeding. Discuss the implications of this
development and suggest what needs to be done.

A.

RL : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/amultisectoral-approach-to-dengue-control/article6498402.ece
___________________
(Answer)
India is one of the most vulnerable to various kind of epidemics due to its geo-climatic
condition. It has been further reinforced by rapid urbanization and globalization which
has created new habitat ground for mosquito breeding. Such a scenario has vast
repercussion on health and economy at large.

IMPLICATION
Water accumulated in such habitat's act as breeding ground for mosquito. Which results in various
kind of vector-borne diseases like Dengue, Yellow fever, Malaria etc.

Deadly disease like malaria can cause millions of human death. It has vast implication
on vulnerable section of society like poor, slum dwellers, children etc. Socio-economic
impact of it can be seen in vicious cycle of poverty it generates. It strain's middle-class
pocket as they seek remedy at private care center which cost them heavily.
SUGGESTION
Administration should react promptly to such diseases by efficiently implementing government
policies and keeping check on stock out of essential medicine. Sanitation and hygiene of the area
should be properly maintained by municipalities. Solid waste should be managed properly.
Preparedness of PHC and govt. hospitals should be up to mark to face such epidemics.
It must also be integrated with community participation without which it is impossible to prevent
such disease. They must be made aware through Radio, T.V., Social eeeeeeeeeee, Pamphlets,

Street play etc. They must be made aware that accumulation of non-biodegradable products such
as automobile tyre, plastic container and tin products act as breeding ground for mosquitoes.
Government must encourage Research and development in vaccine for dengue and various kind
of such vector-borne diseases. Application of bio-medical tools to prevent it must be encouraged
Government initiative of "Swacch Bharat Abhiyan" is in this direction to make India clean, which
will ultimately help in prevent vector borne disease.

___________________________
Poorly planned urbanization, climate change, globalization, consumerism,
growing population and poor solid waste management without adequate
measure taken to prevent vector breeding has led to the increase in incidences
of various vector borne diseases like malaria, dengue, cholera etc.
Implications of this phenomenon include:
1. Dengue has become the fastest growing vector-borne disease now.
2. Almost half of the world is currently at a risk of contracting dengue
3. Responsible for widespread neo natal and child deaths across the globe
4. People living in slum areas in cities and in poorer areas are disproportionately
affected.
5. Risk of spread of such diseases has increased due to largescale movement of
people across countries and continents
Steps that could be taken to contain their spread would include:
1. Creation of awareness among people and communities regarding the harmful
effects of getting infected with such diseases.
2. Make communities aware about the importance of cleanliness inside and
outside their homes.
3. Extensive research is needed to develop a safe, efficacious and affordable
vaccine against dengue and similar such diseases
4. Properly planned urbanization to prevent spread of slum areas and urban
solid waste management are highly important.
____________________________________________
Dengue, a mosquito-borne viral disease, has been estimated to be a billiondollar burden every year in India, according to a study. Examine why its
prevalent in India is high and what treatments are available to treat this
disease.
RL: http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/dengue-drug-cangive-sanofi-1-bn-india-biz-114111000045_1.html

*******************************************************
Blindness & National Program for Control of Blindness(NPCB)
Q. Critically evaluate the performance of the scheme National Programme for
Control of Blindness (NPCB)?
A.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/scheme-tocheck-blindness-under-review/article6513462.ece
____________________
(Ans)
Data full answer : ( Make an analysis & frame own)

NPCB was launched in 1976 as a 100 percent Centrally- funded scheme with a goal to
reduce the prevalence of blindness. However, the rate has
not shown much appreciable difference even after 28 years, the Minister noted. The
Rapid Survey on Avoidable Blindness conducted during 2006-07 showed a reduction in
the prevalence of avoidable blindness from 1.1 percent in 2000 to 1 percent in 2006.
NPCB has now targeted to bring down the prevalence of blindness to 0.3 percent by
2020 from the present level of 1 percent.
The Plan of Action to implement National Programme for Control of Blindness during
the 10th Plan has been prepared in line with Global
Initiative Vision 2020: The Right to Sigh . Revised Scheme focuses on development of
comprehensive eye care services targeting common blinding disorders including
cataract, refractive error, glaucoma, diabetic retinopathy and Corneal Blindness. School
health programme is also being taken up under the Programme.
1, 04, 80,407 cataract operations have been performed, 98% of which were with
IOL.19,23,299 spectacles have been provided free to school going children with
refractive errors.84,868 donated eyes were collected.1700 Eye Surgeons trained.
************************************************
*** POLIO :
A.

Comment on the strategy that helped India eradicate polio. Can this
strategy be adopted by Pakistan with the help of India? Examine.

A.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-offersto-help-pakistan-eradicate-polio-infection/article6531898.ece
_____________________
A.

In recent months there have been reports of increase in the number

of polio deaths in Pakistan. Explain why.

A.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/the-continuingpolio-challenge/article6588523.ece

_____________________________________________________
*** HIV :
A.
A.

Write a short note on HIV endogenisation.

RL: http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/scientistsfind-mechanism-for-spontaneous-hiv-cure/article6565287.ece

_________________________________________________________
*** On Diseases :
Indias case burden of pneumonia and diarrhoea continues to be high, but
marginal progress has been recorded toward improving life-saving interventions

to prevent child deaths. Examine the reasons for high prevalence of these
diseases and the steps taken by government to reduce their prevalence.
A.

http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-national/india-can-domore-to-tackle-pneumonia-diarrhoea/article6592765.ece

*** Miscellaneous :
AYUSH & INDIA :
AYUSh Wiki :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Department_of_Ayurveda,_Yoga_and_Naturopathy,
_Unani,_Siddha_and_Homoeopathy
Department of AYUSH : (Ministry) http://indianmedicine.nic.in/index3.asp?
sslid=198&subsublinkid=39&lang=1
_____________________________________________________________
AYUSH and Allopathic, both systems, often provide solutions to a
common set of
problems. Many times both systems complement each other also. Our
endeavor during the
12th Five Plan period will be that both systems expand and progress together,
based on their
core competencies and inherent strengths. We must ensure that the Health
care delivery
system in the country is designed and developed in such a way that,
both, AYUSH and
allopathic systems are available to every patient and the choice of system of
treatment is
the patients choice, based, of course, on set protocols.
AYUSH has presence in all parts of the country. In addition it has near
universal
acceptance, available practitioners and infrastructure. The strength of AYUSH
system lies in
preventive & promotive health care, diseases and health conditions relating
to women and
children, non-communicable diseases, stress management, palliative care,
rehabilitation etc.
AYUSH has very little side effect, has a soft environmental footprint and is
engrained in local
temperament. It can play an important role in achieving the National
Health Outcome
Goals of reducing MMR, IMR, TFR, Malnutrition, Anemia, Population
Control and
skewed child sex ratios. Its huge resource of hospitals beds (62,000), and
health workers
(7.85 lakhs) need to be efficiently utilized to meet the National Health
outcome Goals.
AYUSH needs to make strategic interventions in schemes such as Janani
Suraksha Yojana (JSY-AYUSH), ICDS-AYUSH, Reproductive Child Health (RCH),
early

breastfeeding, growth monitoring of children, ante and post natal care, etc.
While the contribution of AYUSH is in preventive, promotive or curative
care, its
importance of public health cannot be overemphasized. The AYU SH system
is based on
old traditions of Public service. It has huge pool of health workers (Dais,
RMPs) who for
hundreds of years have provided support and care to whole village and
community. The
proposed Public Health Cadre can utilize these ubiquitous health human
resources both at
the village and community levels.
________________________________________________________
*** 12th 5YP steering committee report on AYUSH : Read & skim . (pdf)
Summary of AYUSH under 12th 5YP :
http://pib.nic.in/newsite/erelease.aspx?relid=94431
_________________________________________________________
National AYUSH Mission :
1.

PIB : Launching of NAM :

http://pib.nic.in/newsite/PrintRelease.aspx?relid=109695

2.

Hindu Articles on the topic :

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/national-ayush-missionto-plug-gaps-in-health-services/article6413406.ece

3.

Down to Earth : Full Coverage :

http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/india-launch-nationalayush-mission
_____________________________________________________________
Arogya Expo 2014 / Ayurveda Congress :

1.

http://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/Delhi/fourday-ayurvedacongress-to-be-held-in-the-capital/article6570143.ece?ref=relatedNews

2.

http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/health/centre-for-quality-checkson-ayurvedic-drugs/article6571576.ece

Extra Read : India & Yoga's soft power :

http://blogs.aljazeera.com/blog/asia/india-eyes-profit-yogas-soft-power
________________________________________________________________
Role of AYUSH :
Reference Articles ( Skim & Jot whatever's necessary) :

Comprehensive Article :
http://www.universitasforum.org/index.php/ojs/article/view/67/256
http://www.arogyakeralam.gov.in/index.php/programmes/ayush
(Mainstreaming with NRHM)
Detailed categorical pdf : On AYUSH + NRHM . (Read & skim)
http://www.business-standard.com/article/pti-stories/larger-role-for-ayushmedicos-paramedics-in-nhm-114081700549_1.html
*******************************************************************************
**********
HUNGER :
Random Index :
Hunger :
General Concepts ?
In World ?
In India ?
Issues ? Related Interlinked Problems ?
Causes ? Factors ?
Solutions ?
Taken by world ? Taken by India ? (+ legislations, if any)
Measures that should be taken ?
Misc.
____________________________________________
UN MDG's ? & Its analysis ?
Institutions associated ?
GHI's ?
______________________________________________
Link to :
Poverty ?
Malnutrition ?
& it's associated impacts ? On development etc ?
** Draw maps of hunger/poverty indexes in the world ?
************************************************************************
Random Article(s) Arrangement (Since, pretty big topic to summarize at
once )
1.

Basics about Hunger from WFP : http://www.wfp.org/hunger

Related Article + Infographics :
http://www.revolutionhunger.org/the-issue

1.

World Hunger & Poverty : (Important Web pages - Also, skim

their related pages )
http://www.globalissues.org/issue/6/world-hunger-and-poverty
(VVI)

Causes of Poverty : http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-ofpoverty

Solving World Hunger = Poverty (Interlinked) :
http://www.globalissues.org/article/8/solving-world-hungermeans-solving-world-poverty
(NR)
_______________________________________________________________________________
__________
IN INDIA :
Link it up later : IGNOU chapter on Poverty :
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B_FR6Jkv0z2cb3FKZ2ZXMXBoM0U/edit
Mrunal 'Important' Articles (They'll form the base -- then EPW-- then
webpages)
1. Global-Hidden Hunger: http://mrunal.org/2014/10/public-health-global-hungerreport-hidden-hunger-national-nutrition-mission-newborn-action-plan.html
2.
Poverty Lines : http://mrunal.org/2014/08/economic-survey-ch13-poverty-linetendulkar-rangarajan-engels-law-mnrega-aajeevika-nrum.html
1 of 3 (Check out other 2) : http://mrunal.org/2013/05/economic-survey-ch13human-development-part-1-of-3-hdi-2012-hdr-2013-poverty-lines-aajeevikatendulkar-sreesanth-saxena-sengupta.html
3.
Extra Read : Multi Dimensional Poverty : http://mrunal.org/2014/08/economicsurvey-ch13-undp-human-development-report-2014-hdi-gender-developmentinequality-multidimensional-poverty-gini-coefficient.html

Overview :
India is the second most populous country in the world with an estimated 1.2 billion people and the third
largest economy by GDP. Thanks to steady economic growth over the past decade, India was classified as a
(lower) middle-income country by the World Bank in 2012. However, despite economic growth and selfsufficiency in food grains production, high levels of poverty, food insecurity and malnutrition persist in India.
An estimated 32.7 percent of the Indian population lives on less than US$ 1.25 per day. The country is home
to a quarter of all undernourished people worldwide . Any global impact on hunger requires progress in food
and nutrition security in India.

India ranks 136th out of 186 countries in the 2013 UNDP Human Development Index and 94th out
of 119 countries in the Global Hunger Index. While per capita income in India has more than tripled
in the last two decades, the minimum dietary intake reduced during the same period. Levels of
inequality and social exclusion are very high. The bottom 10 percent of the population account for
only 3.6 percent of the total consumption expenditure and the top 10 percent accounts for 31
percent; the gap between the rich and the poor has increased during the high economic growth
phase.
Key priorities of the Government of India under the current Five-Year-Plan (2013 2017) are
ensuring Faster, more Inclusive and Sustainable Growth. This includes improving the

performance of agriculture and diversifying produce as well as reducing vulnerabilities of small and
marginal farmers with special focus on women and other disadvantaged groups. It also includes
improving targeting, cost efficiency and nutrition effectiveness of the nationwide food-based social
safety nets, namely the Targeted Public Distribution System (TPDS), the Integrated Child
Development Service (ICDS), which is targeting mothers and young children and the Mid-DayMeal Scheme (MDM) in primary schools.
In addition, the National Food Security Act (NFSA) passed in 2013 is a milestone in the history of
Indias fight against hunger and malnutrition, as it empowers more than 800 million Indians (75
percent of the rural and 50 percent of the urban population living below and just above the national
poverty line) to legally claim their right to highly subsidised staple foods.
WFPs engagement in India is guided by the commitment to support the Government of India
through capacity development and technical assistance in order to improve the efficiency and
nutritional effectiveness of their food-based social safety nets. In close collaboration with
government institutions, partner UN agencies and wider stakeholders, WFP develops models that
address the shortcomings in existing food-based safety nets with a view to making successful pilot
projects scalable and adaptable for replication across the diverse conditions found in different
parts of India. The UN Secretary Generals Zero Hunger Challenge provides a meaningful
framework for WFP and all stakeholders for the comprehensive and multi-sectoral approach
needed to fight hunger and malnutrition in India.

___________________________________________________________
*** Related Articles :
Roadmap for Hunger : http://www.newindianexpress.com/columns/Road-Mapfor-Hunger-free-India/2014/09/02/article2409409.ece
World Food Programs : http://www.wfp.org/countries/wfp-innovating-withindia/operations
Skim the points only :
http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/02/16/10424930-indias-hungershame-3000-children-die-every-day-despite-economic-growth?lite
Zero Hunger Challenge :
http://www.wfp.org/zero-hunger
Related Article : http://www.in.one.un.org/task-teams/zero-hungerchallenge
Extra Read Aricle : http://www.mssrf.org/content/launching-zero-hungerprogramme-india-occasion-asia
@Hindu: Lessons from Brazil's Zero Hunger :
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/open-page/lessons-from-brazils-zerohunger/article4817950.ece
____________________________________________________________
All related topics articles from Hindu :
Comprehensive Article on the issue(Read full & summarize) :
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/costs-of-ignoringhunger/article6517029.ece?ref=relatedNews

Child Hunger :
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/columns/Kalpana_Sharma/the-other-halfkalpana-sharma-writes-on-child-hunger-index/article6532919.ece
Related Article :
http://www.ideasforindia.in/article.aspx?article_id=8
All about 'Hidden Hunger' :
http://www.thehindu.com/features/magazine/eat-smart-beat-hiddenhunger/article6533114.ece (V V I )
http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-in-school/hidden-hunger-affectstwo-billion/article6501299.ece
Global Hunger Index 2014 :
http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/india-moves-up-on-globalhunger-index-2014-thanks-to-improved-child-health-ifprireport/article6496952.ece
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-still-far-behind-in-the-globalhunger-index/article5234511.ece
Related to : Bali Conference of WTO : Subsidies :
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/freeing-the-world-fromhunger/article5364861.ece?ref=relatedNews ( Link up with main topics +
NR )--see below.
_______
Good Reads (Imp.) -- Food Systems/ Security :
Food Systems for future : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/a-foodsystem-for-the-future/article6455091.ece?ref=relatedNews
Food Security & Rodrick's Trilemma : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/oped/food-security-and-rodriks-trilemma/article6313910.ece?ref=relatedNews
_____________________________
(NB) Know everything about WTO & INDIA Issue , TFA ? , Stockpiling
etc Make a detailed Note of it :
Some Hindu articles relating to above issue :(Also, check the related news
of pages)
August 4 : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/editorial/facilitation-andfood/article6277605.ece?ref=relatedNews
Aug 19 : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/india-hopeful-of-a-solutionto-food-stockpile-issue-at-wto-negotiations/article6331797.ece?
ref=relatedNews
Sep 4 : Very Imp. Check Full : http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/for-a-wtostand-with-pds-in-hand/article6376896.ece?ref=relatedNews

Nov 13 : Check all related News : http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/usresolve-impasse-over-food-security-issues-at-wto/article6594065.ece?

ref=relatedNews
**************************************************************************
*
EPW Articles : ( Important PDF's )
Nutrition : What needs to be done ?
Poverty-Hunger Divergence.
Ref: Lessons from Food & Hunger.
Ref: Poverty/Hunger/PDS (News Compilation 2013)
Role of Agriculture in reducing Poverty & Hunger in India ?
*************************XXXXXXXXXXX***************************************
**
POVERTY IN INDIA :
Ahhh just like that.. Use if necessary :
http://www.importantindia.com/8727/complete-essay-on-poverty-in-india/
http://www.slideshare.net/has10nas/poverty-in-india-15917555
http://www.poverties.org/poverty-in-india.html
Articles: http://articles.economictimes.indiatimes.com/keyword/poverty
Urban Poverty : http://thediplomat.com/2014/03/indias-growing-urban-povertycrisis/e
_______________________________________________________________
Index :
Poverty - Basics ? (Refer IGNOU)
Causes ? Factors ?
Poor : Rural ?
Urban ?
Poverty Measurement ? Or Poverty Lines + Controversies ?
Measures taken : For poverty alleviation ? + India's Schemes ?
NB : 12th 5YP on Poverty alleviation ?
Poverty & development issues in India ?
& gender issues ?
Urban Poverty (Issues & Policies )
Effects/Impact of Poverty ?
Role of technology in poverty eradication?
Linking with Malnutrition - Sanitation ------ IMR/MMR ?

Analysis ?
Comparative Study (wrt developing countries)
________________________________________________________
o

Basics of Poverty : IGNOU : Rural & Urban Poverty .

(Extra read,if needed : Analysis of Poverty in India -- Skim what's
necessary)
Wiki : Poverty in India : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India
Poverty (In General) : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Poverty_in_India

IJPA (Extra Read-- Very Old Article : 2000's) : Overview of Chronic Poverty in India.
o

Causes of Poverty :

Detailed Links : Open & skim & categorise . :

http://www.globalissues.org/issue/2/causes-of-poverty
Reference Article : Impact of Poverty upon Environment:
http://www.globalissues.org/article/425/poverty-and-the-environment
Major Causes of Poverty :
1.
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/poverty/4-main-causes-of-povertyin-india-explained/4819/ (Read & note all points)
2.

Related points: Collapse & make final answer:

http://goodpal.hubpages.com/hub/Reasons-Why-India-is-So-Poor

Major reasons for poverty in india :

http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/essay/poverty-in-india-major-reasons-ofpoverty-in-india/32153/ ( See,if it's necessary If yes,attach it to main note)
3. See this slide's Causes of Rural-Urban Poverty & Govt's Initiatives:
http://www.slideshare.net/has10nas/poverty-in-india-15917555
***** ADD NEXT SECTION : Remedial Measures:
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/poverty/remedial-measures-for-the-ruralpoverty-alleviation-in-india/4822/
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/poverty/21-major-poverty-alleviationprogrammes-launched-in-india/23415/
_______________________________________________________________________________
_
Rural & Urban Poverty : (Also make another note on "RuralUrban Migration" :
Read these 2 pdf's :

PDF 1: Urban Poverty overtaking rural poverty.

PDF 2 : Poverty in rural & urban areas.
____________________________________________
EPW Articles :
1.

Urban Poverty in India.

2.

Poverty & Inequality in Urban India since reforms

3.
Extent of Poverty in India.
________________________________________________
12th 5YP : Official : Volume 2 : Rural & Urban Development chapter.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_
Determination of 'Poverty Line in India' :
1.
2.

Well compiled document(pdf) from Insights on the topic : Poverty

Line: meaning,concept,evolution.
Govt Document on Poverty Line : Expert group for PL.

Extra read: http://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/everythird-indian-poor-says-new-poverty-formula-114070700014_1.html

_______________________________________________________________________________
___
Poverty Alleviation in India : (Refer to 12th 5YP )
Complete Article on Poverty Eradication in India (PDF) -- V V I
11th 5YP Link:(refer)
http://planningcommission.gov.in/plans/mta/index.php?state=midch3.htm
Poverty Alleviation Programs in :
Rural India (PDF)
Urban India (PDF) -- Search a pdf named ***
Urban Poverty Alleviation Programmes in India :
http://www.slideshare.net/jamuna27586/urban-poverty-alleviation-schemecentral
Extra Reference Articles :
http://www.yourarticlelibrary.com/poverty/measures-adopted-to-removerural-poverty-in-india/4830/
http://www.economicshelp.org/macroeconomics/inequality/policies_reduc
e_poverty/

(Another topic) : Legal intervention In Poverty Alleviation. - PDF (See if

necessary)

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______
Effect / Impact / Consequences of Poverty in India :
Webpages (read & skim) http://www.poverties.org/effects-of-poverty.html
http://www.dineshbakshi.com/ibeconomics/macroeconomics/165-revision-notes/1884-causesand-consequences-of-poverty
Extra read : 'Legal intervention to tackle poverty' :
https://www.opendemocracy.net/openglobalrights/sara-bailey/can-legalinterventions-really-tackle-root-causes-of-poverty
________________________________
Impact of Economic Reforms on Poverty :
PDF's : Everything's not important Simply grab the basics for any answer :
1.

Impact of Eco reforms on Poverty.

2.

Trade Liberalization & Poverty reduction

3.

Poverty reduction in China & India .

_______________________________________________________________________________
________
Poverty & development issues in India :
1.

Poverty eradication & human resource development :

http://www.moef.nic.in/divisions/ic/wssd/doc2/ch16.htm
Reference Article (Extra read) : Human Development in
India. (pdf)

2.

Poverty alleviation & Sustainable Development (pdf)

3.

Targeting poverty & gender inequality to improve maternal health.

(pdf)

_______________________________________________________________________________
_______

Agenda 21 of Rio + 20 Summit : Poverty & Sustainable

Development :
http://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/index.php?menu=233
*** Check 'Mrunal' for more on Rio+20 Summit.
_______________________________________________________________________________
_______
Poverty- Hindu Articles :
1.
UN MDG Report,2014: (NR on the topic) :
http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/poverty-child-maternal-deathshigh-in-india-un-report/article6188227.ece (Also, check related news)
2.

Measuring Poverty(Imp)-also ,check related news :

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/the-need-to-measurepoverty/article6288450.ece?ref=relatedNews

3.

Criticism to New Poverty Line(Jean Dreze) :

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/squaring-the-povertycircle/article6246084.ece

4.

Policy Effectiveness Index & Poverty :

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/india-needs-multiprongedapproach-to-eradicate-poverty-report/article5871817.ece

5.

Understanding Poverty Line ( See related News) :

http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/lead/understanding-the-povertyline/article4989045.ece

6.

Defending poverty estimates:

http://www.thehindu.com/business/Economy/rangarajan-defends-povertyestimates/article6186614.ece

_______________________________________________________________________________
_
1.
2.

Extra Read & PDF's

Food Security in India.
12th five year plan : Approach Paper
: Volume 1.
: Volume 2
:
Volume 3.

_______________________________________________________________________________
RECENT NEWS ARTICLES ON THE TOPIC :
Q. "It is said that number of hungry people across the world has not
decreased much". In the light of recent UN figures on hunger, critically
comment.?
RL : http://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/28/opinion/sunday/counting-thehungry.html?
emc=edit_ae_20140928&nl=todaysheadlines&nlid=49615428&_r=1

1.

The world cannot afford to talk about hunger without addressing

climate change, food production without sustainability or growth without
good nutrition. Comment.

RL : http://www.thehindu.com/todays-paper/tp-opinion/a-food-system-for-thefuture/article6455635.ece
Sample Answer:
Removal of poverty and hunger was one of the eight targets of MDG, which cant
be achieved by its deadline of 2015. This requires a course correction the way we
deal with hunger.
Currently every one of nine people in the world still suffers from hunger. Hunger
will assume crisis proportion in future when world population is expected to cross
nine billion. Climate change has already shown its impact by disrupting crop yield,
decreasing nutrient content and the resulting food inflation. Increased frequency
and intensity of natural disasters will further worsen the problem of food
insecurity.
Undoubtedly, the bottom strata of society will be worst hit pushing more people to
the cycle of poverty and disease. Out of desperateness, they often take to
unsustainable means to exploit natural resources- clearing forest for cultivation,
use of firewood instead of any clean fuel, destroying wetland etc. All these
catalyse climate change setting a vicious cycle of poverty and climate change,
one reinforcing the other.
Lack of food and nutrition affects physical growth and mental development of
children. Such semi-able of disable people increase the health expenditure of
economy without contributing their due to development. Retarded development of
economy wont financially permit to look after them, again creating a cycle.
Thus development and environment protection are not either or choice but each
needs the other. This new approach is key to solve many pressing problems the
world is facing today.
Addn'l Points :
important factor is land for cultivation is limited and would be further limited by
submergence effects of climate change leading to migration of people and
extreme weather events resulting in floods droughts.there would be change in
crop patterns , staple crops productivity would be compromised may even lead to
extiction therefore adoption of new dietary patterns and we would be compelled to
find ways to maintain adequate nutrition with given levels of productivity. Hence
there would be decreased availability of food having domino effect on prices
( affordabillity) , access, quality of food resulting in negative impact on these imp
pillars of food security. Thus climate change needs to be factored in along with
rising populatio depleting natural resources to develop sustainable agriculture
practices if we want to tackle hunger.
A.
**********************XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX********************************
******
LINK & RELATE & ADD UP---- With--1. Inequality in India .
2. Malnutrition in India.

3.
4.
5.
6.
7.

Sanitation .
IMR-MMR
Human Resource Development/ Sustainable Development.
Rural - Urban Migration.
MDG's & India.