-The Hindu Justice Prabha Sridevan’s judgment permitting the production and sale of a generic version of a cancer drug is a victory for patients. It posits the public interest, especially in matters of health care, right at the heart of intellectual property rights in India Monday was a remarkable day for cancer patients in India. To them, the country said — “we care.” I am talking about the astounding decision by Justice...

-The Times of India Finance minister P Chidambaram may have brushed aside the Gujarat model of development but the Centre will now have to comment on the efficacy of the model set up by BJP-ruled Chhattisgarh in implementing targeted public distribution system providing subsidized food grains to the poor. The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Centre's comment on the Raman Singh government's model of TPDS implementation, which was repeatedly cited by...

-The Business Standard Chennai: The Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) today upheld a compulsory licence issued by the Controller of Patents to Hyderabad-based Natco Pharma Ltd, a generic drug maker, to manufacture and sell a cancer drug of Bayer Corp in India. IPAB, however, made changes in the licence order by increasing the royalty payment to Bayer Corp for Nexavar, used to treat liver and kidney cancer, from six per cent to...

-Outlook Ranchi: CPI (M) General Secretary Prakash Karat today called for an immediate end to the "division" of people on the lines of below poverty line, above poverty line, and advocated for universal Public Distribution System (PDS). "Now the people are being divided and are given ration cards on the lines of BPL, APL and Antyodaya, which should be stopped immediately," Karat said at a meeting of the party's Sangharsh Sandesh Jatha...

-The Business Standard Budget underestimates food, fertiliser subsidies If the projections in the 2013-14 Budget are to be believed, subsidies on food and fertiliser which, along with petroleum subsidy, account for nearly 95 per cent of total subsidies are unlikely to rise much in the next financial year. This prognosis, reflected in an increase of just Rs 5,000 crore in food subsidy allocation and no change in the fertiliser subsidy, is odd;...