PIL against digital thermometer, BP monitor being notified as drugs: HC seeks Centre's stand
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has sought the Centre's response on a plea challenging its decision to notify blood monitoring devices, digital thermometers, nebulizers and glucometers as 'drugs' under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act.
A bench of Chief Justice D N Patel and Justice C Hari Shankar issued a notice to the Health Ministry whose notification has been challenged by an association representing manufacturers and traders of surgical and other medical equipment.
The court asked the ministry to file its reply before the next date of hearing on December 11.
The association, in its PIL, has contended that none of the notified devices have a drug component and therefore, bringing them under the ambit of the Act was an arbitrary decision.
The petition, filed through advocates Harsh Kumar, Bhagya Yadav and Aditya Raj, claims that the notification would create an unwarranted burden of expenditure on importers, traders and manufacturers of these devices and consequently, it would be passed on to the consumers.
It said notifying the devices as drugs will result in a substantial hike in their prices which would make them unaffordable for a large segment of society.
Apart from seeking quashing of the notification, the association has also challenged the Constitutional validity of provisions of the Act.
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Stalin urges Centre to rollback commercial LPG price hike
Chennai (PTI): Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M K Stalin on Friday demanded that the Centre immediately rollback the hike in commercial LPG cylinder prices. The price of commercial LPG was hiked by the steepest ever Rs 993 per 19-kg cylinder on May 1, marking the third straight monthly increase due to rising global energy prices linked to the West Asia conflict.
In his social media X platform, the DMK chief alleged that as predicted before the polls, the BJP-led union government has raised LPG prices immediately after the elections concluded.
"When global crude oil prices fell, the benefits were not passed on to the people, " he said, accusing the Centre of "using the West Asia war crisis as an excuse to raise the prices without regard for public welfare".
Calling for protection of the livelihood of the people, Stalin demanded an immediate rollback of the LPG price hike.
He asked the Centre to consider the people's suffering and find solutions.
