The Centre is expected to announce a new pharma policy in the next few months. The ministry of Chemicals and fertilisers has discussed with concerned stakeholders and will seek further inputs on the matter before placing the draft note to a group of ministers (GoM) for final touches, Chemicals and fertilisers minister MK Azhagiri said on Wednesday. Hinting this at a conference on ‘Intellectual Property Rights: Challenges and way forward for...

Offer insights into the working of government and throw up a wonderful cast of sidekicksIf the first tranche of the Niira Radia tapes showed the shocking penetration of the key pillars of the State by a powerful corporate lobbyist, the second instalment released by Outlook magazine takes the story further, offering delightful insights into the working of government and revealing a wonderful cast of sidekicks and supporting actors who cut...

Affidavit before Kerala High CourtThe decision to conduct aerial spraying of Endosulfan over the cashew estates of the Plantation Corporation of Kerala (PCK) was taken on the basis of the recommendations of Kerala Agricultural University (KAU) and other institutions, according to an affidavit filed by the PCK before the Kerala High Court.In the affidavit, PCK Managing Director N.K. Manoj said the allegation that the aerial spraying of the insecticide was...

While survivors of the Bhopal gas leak disaster have been demanding that Dow Chemical, the current owner of the Union Carbide Corporation, be held liable for the clean-up of the disaster site, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry granted approval to a project involving Reliance Petroleum Ltd and Dow Global even after apprehensions were expressed by the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. It now appears that the approval, granted shortly...

Curative plea filed in Supreme Court on anniversary of tragedy Coinciding with the anniversary of the 1984 Bhopal gas tragedy, the Centre on Friday filed a curative petition seeking enhancement of the compensation of $ 470 million determined by the Supreme Court in 1989 on the ground that this settlement was arrived at on the basis of assumptions of truth unrelated to realities. The Centre as parens patriae (parent of the...