Category:

Policy

Accord ”strategic sector” tag to pharma: Par panel

In its report, tabled in Parliament on Friday, on the review of loss-making central public sector enterprises, the Committee on Public Undertakings chaired by Meenakshi Lekhi observed that the indigenous awareness of healthcare facilities is of paramount importance of any nation.

The Committee said it was of the strong opinion that pharma sector plays a very important role to keep the nation healthy and strong, and this has been quite apparent during the current pandemic when the need for strong indigenous pharma companies has been realised with more intensity.

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China’s top financial watchdog blasts ‘State Monopoly’ accusation

China has come under greater international pressure in recent years to reduce industrial subsidies after the U.S., Europe and Japan agreed to push for stronger World Trade Organization rules against market-distorting government aid. The state domination of the economy was also meant to be a topic in the “Phase 2” trade deal talks with the U.S.

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 Massachusetts Governor vetoes sweeping climate change Bill

A highlight of the bill is the goal of attaining a net-zero greenhouse gas emission limit by 2050 in part by setting new statewide limits every five years to help the state reach the goal.

The bill would also increase requirements for purchasing offshore wind energy and write into state law the criteria used to define “environmental justice populations” – communities with lower incomes, larger numbers of non-English speaking adults, or with a nonwhite population of 25% or more.

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EC nod to use its data for Covid vaccination drive; wants data to be deleted after exercise is over

On December 31 last year, Union Home Secretary Ajay Bhalla wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora requesting the commission’s help in identifying people above 50 years of age at the polling station level, the sources said.

On the issue of data security, the home secretary wrote that the government is complying with the current best practices for ensuring cybersecurity.
Twelve identity documents, such as Voter ID, Aadhaar card, driving license, passport, and pension document, will be required for beneficiary identification.

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Governments should partner with pvt sector to maximise the potential of digital healthcare in Asia:Survey

Social media is the most frequently cited source of personal health and wellness information. However, the survey respondents overwhelmingly agreed that the most trustworthy sources are national government and public health authorities. Governments can seize the opportunity by becoming the most reliable source of quality health information for citizens.

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India’s proposed changes to anti-smoking law face objections from tobacco industry

India released draft changes to its tobacco-control law over the weekend to ban smoking zones in hotels, restaurants and airports. The proposal also calls for increasing the minimum legal smoking age from 18 to 21.
The draft changes have also tightened existing provisions to ban advertising at kiosks and prohibit sale of loose cigarette sticks, which form the bulk of the sales, health activists said.
If implemented, the plan is seen hitting sales of companies such as ITC, Godfrey Phillips India and a unit of Philip Morris International which operate in the country’s $12 billion cigarette market, executives said.

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