-Outlook The Supreme Court today said it would examine the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy after it is notified with the Centre promising to do it within two weeks. A bench headed by Justice G S Singhvi granted two weeks time to the Centre to issue notification and posted the matter for hearing on December 12. Additional Solicitor General Siddharth Luthra informed the court that the Cabinet had approved the policy that will bring...

-The Times of India The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's response to a radical plea for collection of 25% of the cost of a diesel car or SUV sold in the National Capital Region as green tax at the time of its purchase to deter people from buying more polluting personal vehicles and help fight the growing levels of pollution in Delhi. The court also sought the Union government's response...

-The Economic Times The government will roll out a United Nations-assisted livelihood security programme in 10 Naxal-infested districts in a bid to tackle the growing influence of Maoist rebels. The rural development ministry, which has been spearheading the developmental approach to this Left-wing menace, has in collaboration with the United Nations Development Programme worked out a five-year plan to make markets work for the poor, ensure that state governments are more responsive...

-The Times of India The government is looking into demands for raising the six-cylinder annual cap on supply of subsidized cooking gas refills to each family, oil minister M Veerappa Moily told the Lok Sabha in a written reply on Friday. Separately, minister of state for petroleum Panabaaka Lakshmi told the House that state-run fuel retailers have issued more than 10 lakh new cooking gas connections since the government capped the supply...

-Outlook The government today cleared the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Policy that will bring 348 essential drugs under Price Control, leading to reduction in prices. "The National Pharmaceutical Pricing policy has been approved by the Cabinet with an objective to put in place a regulatory framework for pricing of drugs to ensure their availability at reasonable prices," an official source said. At present, the government through the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) controls prices...