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We have never witnessed domestic or foreign pharmaceutical companies recall substandard or mislabelled drugs in India. India has been mulling the creation of a mandatory recall law for substandard drugs since 1976, and yet no law exists that mandates such medicine be removed from the market to this day. The issue has come up repeatedly in regulatory meetings in …

The United States is getting ready to lift COVID-19 restrictions that have blocked migrants caught at the U.S.-Mexico border from seeking asylum since 2020, a major policy shift with humanitarian and political implications. What is Title 42? The COVID restrictions, known as Title 42, were first implemented in March 2020 at the beginning of the pandemic. Title 42 allowed …

In unanimous decision, Arab League readmits Syria after 11-year absence What is Arab League? The Arab League is a regional organization in the Arab world. The Arab League was formed in Cairo in 1945. Initially it had six members: Egypt, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, and Syria Currently, the League has 22 members. Syria’s participation was suspended from 2011 till recently. Each …

Two drugs to treat Alzheimer’s disease showed promising results. Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive neurologic disorder that causes the brain to shrink (atrophy) and brain cells to die. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common cause of dementia — a continuous decline in thinking, behavioral and social skills that affects a person’s ability to function independently. The early signs of the disease include …

India recorded the second highest number of attacks on defenders protesting harmful business practices in 2022, according to a new report. The report is prepared by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre (BHRRC), an international non-profit. India saw 54 such incidents of attacks, which is lower only than Brazil’s record of 63. India’s Jindal Steel Ltd (JSW) …

The Centre ordered that public broadcaster, previously known as All India Radio (AIR), be exclusively referred to as Akashvani in all broadcasts and programmes. Previously, the two names were used interchangeably. Guglielmo Marconi sent out the first radio transmission in 1895. In India, the Radio Club of Bombay sent out the first commercial transmission in 1923. The Calcutta Radio Club was …

Secretary, the Ministry of MSME presided over BizAmp, an outreach programme organized by the Ministry of MSME. It was organized in association with NSIC Venture Capital Fund Limited (NVCFL) under its Self Reliant India (SRI) Fund. Aim: The programme, aimed at empowering MSMEs from the North Eastern States and amplifying their businesses utilizing benefits under SRI Fund. BizAmp is the first …

The Supreme Court agreed to take up Muslim women’s petitions challenging the validity of talaq-e-hasan under the Muslim personal law. What is Talaq-e-Hasan? In Islam, Talaq-e-Hasan is an extra-judicial form of divorce that can be practised by men. Under Muslim personal laws, this form of divorce is revocable. Talaq-e-Hasan is considered to be approved by …

A government panel that looked into allegations of sexual harassment by some of the nation’s top wrestlers against Wrestling Federation of India chief found that there was no Internal Complaints Committee (ICC), as mandated by law under the 2013 Prevention of Sexual Harassment (PoSH) Act. As many as 16 of the …

AstraZeneca Pharma India Ltd said it has received an approval from the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the cancer drug trastuzumab deruxtecan for treatment of metastatic breast cancer. The company has been granted approval to import and market trastuzumab deruxtecan used in the treatment of select “HER-2 positive” breast cancer. Globally, trastuzumab deruxtecan is approved in more than 40 countries, including …

Government launches Vivad se Vishwas scheme for relief to MSMEs for COVID-19 period, as announced in the Union Budget 2023-24 Under the scheme, Ministries have been asked to refund performance security, bid security and liquidated damages forfeited/ deducted during the COVID-19 pandemic. Certain relief has also been provided to MSMEs debarred for default in execution of contracts during the …

A Union Minister said that “Mission Karmayogi”, launched by Prime Minister had institutionalised the process of capacity building, particularly for the benefit of civil servants It was launched in 2020. Mission Karmayogi is a National Programme for Civil Services Capacity Building (NPCSCP). The programme aims at building a future-ready civil service with the right …

Bangladesh seeks India’s help over Rohingya Bangladesh urged India to take more effective steps in persuading Myanmar to take back the Rohingya who were forced to take refuge in Bangladesh to evade persecution. Who are the Rohingya? The Rohingya are a Muslim ethnic minority group. They have lived for centuries in predominantly Buddhist Myanmar. The Rohingya are not recognized as an …

While countries have tried to dethrone the dollar as the global reserve currency for many decades now for various reasons, of late such attempts have picked up pace in the aftermath of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. What is De-dollarisation? De-dollarisation refers to the replacement of the U.S. dollar by other currencies as the global reserve currency. A reserve …

ECI issues advisory to all Star Campaigners, recognized National & State Political Parties in view of plummeting level of campaign discourse in the ongoing GE to Karnataka Legislative Assembly There is no law that defines who is a star campaigner. There is no law governing who can or cannot be made a star campaigner. A star campaigner …

Launromat report was released recently. China, India, Turkey, the UAE and Singapore. They buy Russian oil and sell processed products to European countries, thus side-stepping European sanctions against Russia India leads the laundromat countries, according to the report. European Union (EU) countries which are all part of the price cap coalition. The price-cap coalition countries include the European Union, G7 countries, Australia and …

A constitution or five-judge bench of the Supreme Court held that it can exercise its powers under Article 142 of the Constitution to directly grant a decree of divorce to consenting parties, in cases of irretrievable breakdown of marriage, without referring the parties to a family court. Current procedure under …

May Day 2023 marks a hundred years since it was first commemorated in India on May 1, 1923, in the city of Madras. M Singaravelu Chettiar, a nationalist figure, and an early cobmmunist associated with the anti-caste movement introduced May Day in India. By introducing May Day in India, Singaravelu …

PM appreciates success of National SC-ST Hub Scheme The National SC/ST Hub (NSSH) would provide professional support to the SC/ST enterprises enabling them to effectively participate in public procurement process. The Hub would also work towards the development of new entrepreneurs to participate in procurement process leveraging on the ‘Stand up India’ programme. Selected entrepreneurs would be provided with support and mentoring by industry …

Some members of the Meitei community in Manipur, which has been seeking Scheduled Tribe (ST) status for decades, have now said that they intend to file contempt proceedings against the Hill Areas Committee (HAC) of the Manipur Assembly, which recently passed a resolution opposing their inclusion. Recently the Manipur High Court ordered …