India's efforts to produce and supply life-saving drugs at affordable prices face challenges from multinational companies trying to “evergreen” their patents. THE average life expectancy across the globe has increased from around 30 years a century ago to over 65 years today. This has been made possible in large part by modern medicine. Never before in history have humans had access to such an array of medicines and devices to...

A government panel has recommended an income-linked cap on marriage expenses as part of amendments to curb dowry harassment. “Introduction of ceilings in terms of percentage of income on gifts and marriage expenditure needs to be considered. A limit should also be put on marriage expenditure in terms of food,” the high-powered Planning Commission panel on women empowerment has said. The panel, made up of senior officials of the women and child...

-The Times of India A woman tehsildar had a narrow escape from being mowed down by an earth extractor machine in Madhya Pradesh's Dewas district on Tuesday when she tried to stop illegal mining. The incident comes barely a month after an IPS Officer Narendra Kumar was crushed to death by the mining mafia in Morena. Acting on a tip-off on largescale illegal mining in the district, the tehsildar, Meena Pal, rushed...

-The Times of India Ahead of the panchayat elections next year Bengal's ruling party, the Trinamool Congress (TMC) has issued a draconian fiat to its cadres, exhorting them to socially boycott CPM party members. The state government's food and supplies minister Jyotipriya Mullick has asked Trinamool workers not to have any form of personal relations, including marriage, with CPM members and sympathisers. Mullick's bizarre list of 'don'ts' include not mingling with...

The Centre has cited three shortcomings in the implementation of the rural job scheme in Bengal and linked the next instalment of grant to the resolution of the problems. In a letter sent to chief minister Mamata Banerjee yesterday, Union rural development minister Jairam Ramesh has identified the critical areas as low completion rate of works, delay in e-transfer of wages and inadequate action on complaints of irregularities. “Let me make it...