Plea alleges Patanjali toothpaste has non-veg ingredient while misleading consumers with veg-mark
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has requested recommendations from the Committee established by the Union Ministry of Ayush to determine criteria for categorizing raw materials used in drug production as vegetarian, non-vegetarian, or other classifications.
Justice Subramonium Prasad instructed the Ayurvedic, Siddha and Unani Drugs Technical Advisory Board's (ASUDTAB) Committee to present its recommendations within 10 weeks. The court addressed a petition by lawyer Yatin Sharma, who alleged that Patanjali's product "Divya Manjan" falsely claimed to be vegetarian while containing non-vegetarian ingredients. The plea added the product is sold with a green dot to indicate it is a vegetarian product.
Sharma argued that Patanjali's misrepresentation was misleading the public, leading to a plea for action against the company for hurting religious sentiments and consumer deception.
Last July, Sharma filed a complaint with the Ministry of Ayush on this matter. The Ministry responded, stating that no provision allowed indicating non-vegetarian content with a sign or mark under Rule 161 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules 1945. The ASUDTAB Board recommended forming a committee to determine criteria for categorizing raw materials, considering various religious, ethical, and regional considerations.
The Ministry stressed on the subjective nature of categorizing items as vegetarian or non-vegetarian and highlighted that interpretation depends on diverse factors.
The court noted the Committee's establishment and instructed it to provide recommendations within the specified 10-week period.
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Maharashtra sets up state vaccination task force to strengthen immunisation programme
Mumbai (PTI): The Maharashtra government has set up a State Vaccination Task Force to strengthen the regular immunisation programme and review the progress of related campaigns, a health department official said on Monday.
The State Vaccination Task Force will comprise at least 29 members and will be headed by the administrative head of the health department, he informed.
The government has also constituted separate district-level and municipal vaccination task forces to improve implementation and address challenges at the grassroots level, he said.
Municipal task forces, chaired by respective civic commissioners, have been constituted in view of the vast urban population in Maharashtra and the role of civic bodies in implementing different health programmes.
The district-level task forces will function under the chairmanship of collectors.
"Complete immunisation of children at the appropriate age is an extremely simple, cost-effective and highly effective measure to reduce child mortality and the prevalence of diseases among kids. Immunisation is a powerful tool for reducing illness in children," maintained the official.
To ensure full vaccination of all children, the state government implements various campaigns from time to time as per the central government guidelines, he pointed out.
"Active participation and cooperation of other relevant government departments are essential (in making these campaigns successful)," according to the official.
The state-level body will review the regular immunisation programme, associated campaigns and vaccine-preventable diseases in detail. It will also conduct focused assessments of high-risk districts and municipal corporations, including vacancies at district, municipal and sub-district levels, availability of cold chain equipment, resource gaps and training requirements, he noted.
The state task force will review allocation and utilisation of funds for immunisation and ensure timely action by officers concerned based on reports from district and municipal task forces and state-level monitoring mechanisms, the official said.
It will also ensure active coordination and participation of other government departments in immunisation drives, while district and municipal task forces will carry out similar functions at their respective levels, the official added.
