-The Hindu New Delhi: Seed technology major Monsanto says it is suspending plans to introduce an upgraded version of its genetically modified cotton in India because of uncertainty in the “business and regulatory environment”. Activists say this is a “hypocritical” position. On July 6, Monsanto notified the Genetic Engineering Appraisal Committee, the regulatory authority for approval of biotechnology traits in India, that it was withdrawing its application for the commercial release of...

-Frontline Medecins Sans Frontieres warns that the free or regional trade agreements that are being negotiated, which seek to strengthen current patent regimes, are a potential threat to the developing world’s access to life-saving drugs, which it sources mostly from India. WHEN NELSON MANDELA’S GOVERNMENT passed the Medicines and Related Substances Control Act in 1997 to make medicines more accessible to the poor, 39 big pharmaceutical companies filed law suits in...

-Hindustan Times At least 9 homeless deaths are reported across Delhi every day. Most die of drug addiction. They die, unidentified across Delhi every year, and the numbers mount. In 2005, the number of unidentified bodies in Delhi was 2,202. In 2015, this figure rose to 3,285. In areas surrounding Kashmeri Gate, Old Delhi and Yamuna Bazar -- areas with most homeless -- the Delhi Police find at least five unidentified bodies every...

-The Hindu Business Line Hyderabad: With the Union government gearing up to take a decision on whether to allow genetically modified (GM) mustard, anti-GM activists, non-governmental organisations and farmers’ associations have decided to exert pressure on States to stall any move to allow GM in food crops. Arguing that agriculture is a State subject and that States have to bear the brunt of any fallout, the activists have decided to meet the...

-The Times of India NEW DELHI: As dengue cases show a steep increase, particularly in Delhi, the World Health Organisation (WHO) has recommended introducing dengue vaccine in highburden countries like India. Two months ago, the apex committee on health, headed by the health secretary, had denied approval to a multinational firm for its dengue vaccine when it sought a clinical trial waiver in India. In May, the committee had concluded that the data...