← 13 October 2026's Current Affairs · Polity GA Prelims ★★★☆☆ Mains ★★★☆☆
Supreme Court asks why trade-margin cap should not cover all essential medicines
ಸುದ್ದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಏಕೆ?
Why cap trade margins on cancer drugs at 30%? The DPCO and NPPA facts GS-II needs
The Supreme Court has asked why a cap on trade margins cannot be extended to all medicines and medical products.
Why it matters: general awareness
What you need to know
2 ನಿಮಿಷ
The Supreme Court has asked why a cap on trade margins cannot be extended to all medicines and medical products.
The Centre has proposed a 30 per cent trade-margin cap on patented and non-patented cancer medicines.
The court also said medicines whose prices are legally regulated under the Drugs (Prices Control) Order must actually reach patients.
ಮೂಲಗಳು: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅಂಶಗಳು
Remember these
- The Supreme Court asked why a trade-margin cap should not extend to all medicines and medical products.
- The Centre has proposed a 30 per cent trade-margin cap on patented and non-patented cancer medicines.
- Trade margin is the difference between the price at which a retailer or wholesaler buys a medicine and the price at which it sells it.
- The Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO) is issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955.
- The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA) works under the Department of Pharmaceuticals and fixes and revises ceiling prices of scheduled drugs.
ಪ್ರಿಲಿಮ್ಸ್ · ಮೇನ್ಸ್
How the exam will ask it
ಪ್ರಿಲಿಮ್ಸ್
- The Drugs (Prices Control) Order is issued under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955, not the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
- The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority functions under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers.
- A trade-margin cap limits the mark-up between the price at which the retailer buys a medicine and its selling price to the patient.
- Medicines under price control are those listed in the National List of Essential Medicines, whose ceiling prices are fixed under the DPCO.
ಮೇನ್ಸ್
GS-II (Health, regulation) and GS-III (Pricing policy): high out-of-pocket spending on medicines, especially for cancer, led the Court to question why price regulation stops at ceiling prices and does not control trade margins. The DPCO and NPPA fix ceiling prices for scheduled drugs, while the Centre's proposed 30 per cent margin cap on cancer medicines would extend control to patented and non-patented drugs alike. Way forward: extend margin caps across essential medicines, ensure ceiling prices actually reach patients through monitoring and enforcement, and balance affordability with industry viability and drug availability.
Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
ಭಾರತದಲ್ಲಿ ಔಷಧ ಬೆಲೆ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣಕ್ಕೆ ಸಂಬಂಧಿಸಿದಂತೆ ಈ ಕೆಳಗಿನ ಹೇಳಿಕೆಗಳನ್ನು ಪರಿಗಣಿಸಿ:
- ಔಷಧ (ಬೆಲೆ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣ) ಆದೇಶವನ್ನು ಔಷಧ ಮತ್ತು ಸೌಂದರ್ಯವರ್ಧಕ ಕಾಯ್ದೆ, 1940ರ ಅಡಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಹೊರಡಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
- ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಔಷಧ ಬೆಲೆ ನಿಗದಿ ಪ್ರಾಧಿಕಾರವು ಆರೋಗ್ಯ ಮತ್ತು ಕುಟುಂಬ ಕಲ್ಯಾಣ ಸಚಿವಾಲಯದ ಅಧೀನ ಕಚೇರಿಯಾಗಿದೆ. ಮೇಲಿನ ಯಾವ ಹೇಳಿಕೆ/ಹೇಳಿಕೆಗಳು ಸರಿಯಾಗಿವೆ?
- 1 ಮಾತ್ರ
- 2 ಮಾತ್ರ
- 1 ಮತ್ತು 2 ಎರಡೂ
- 1 ಅಥವಾ 2 ಎರಡೂ ಅಲ್ಲ
ಉತ್ತರ ನೋಡಿ
ಉತ್ತರ: D — 1 ಅಥವಾ 2 ಎರಡೂ ಅಲ್ಲ: ಔಷಧ (ಬೆಲೆ ನಿಯಂತ್ರಣ) ಆದೇಶವನ್ನು ಅಗತ್ಯ ವಸ್ತುಗಳ ಕಾಯ್ದೆ, 1955ರ ಅಡಿ ಹೊರಡಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ ಮತ್ತು ರಾಷ್ಟ್ರೀಯ ಔಷಧ ಬೆಲೆ ನಿಗದಿ ಪ್ರಾಧಿಕಾರವು ರಾಸಾಯನಿಕ ಮತ್ತು ರಸಗೊಬ್ಬರ ಸಚಿವಾಲಯದ ಔಷಧ ಇಲಾಖೆಯ ಅಡಿ ಕಾರ್ಯನಿರ್ವಹಿಸುತ್ತದೆ.
Convert this topic into marks
Today's 10-MCQ test · instant analysis · Powered by AdaptIQ