-The Business Standard   Regulator studying pricing models in various nations; draft legislation likely by end of March Pharmaceutical companies might be up for stricter price regulations. The government is planning to bring in a legislation that would take into consideration pricing models across the US, European Union (EU), China and 14 Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) countries. The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), which regulates prices of medicines in the market,...

-The Hindu   Kannur (Kerala): The ‘kaipad' rice cultivated in the brackish water tracts of northern parts of the State has been included in the Geographical Indications (GI) registry in the country which is part of the Intellectual Property regime. The notification of inclusion of the ‘kaipad' rice varieties in the GI registry followed an application submitted by the Malabar Kaipad Farmers' Society (MKFS) of Ezhome here. The society has been formed for...

-The Hindu   It is creditable that Narendra Modi seeks inspiration for his growth model from China and Japan rather than the U.S., which is a high-cost, specialist-driven model The old adage ‘health is wealth' was given legitimacy by no less a personage than Professor Jeffrey Sachs, who in 2000, chaired the World Health Organization's Commission on Macroeconomics and Health (CMH). The CMH report brought forth indisputable evidence of the link between health,...

Gene Campaign turned twenty in 2013. Starting in 1993 as a leading research and advocacy organization, GC dedicated itself to the conservation of genetic resources and indigenous knowledge. The campaign has encouraged self reliance and worked towards ensuring livelihood security for rural and tribal communities. Closely involved in policymaking and legislation with respect to biological resources, GC has enabled rural and adivasi communities to participate in policies relating to these...

-The Indian Express   Contrary to conventional wisdom, the UPA lost despite an inclusive, growing economy.   Economists have been busy telling us that the economy decided the election result. We heard it during the campaign and they have been at it again in their post-mortems. They are wrong. Consider some evidence.   Most Indians live in rural areas. Elections are won and lost there. So for any government, it makes good electoral sense to look...