Faulty medicines worth Rs 24 lakh recalled in statewide crackdown across Karnataka: Report
Bengaluru: In a crackdown on poor-quality pharmaceuticals, Karnataka's Drug Administration Department has recalled faulty medicines worth Rs 24.3 lakh from the market. This follows a inspection and testing drive carried out in February and March across the state, aimed at safeguarding public health.
According to a report by the Times of India, drug inspectors collected thousands of medicine samples from pharmacies across Karnataka and sent them to government labs in Bengaluru, Hubballi, and Ballari for analysis. In March alone, 1,891 samples were tested, and 41 failed to meet quality standards.
The crackdown followed a series of maternal deaths reported at Ballari District Hospital raised alarms about the safety of drugs administered during C-section procedures. Investigations revealed that several batches of Ringer lactate IV fluids—commonly used during surgeries—were potentially linked to the fatalities. Out of 196 batches tested, 113 were found to be substandard, prompting legal action against 78 manufacturers, added the report.
Additionally, the drug control officers also inspected 2,078 medical shops across Karnataka, leading to the suspension of 215 drug licences due to various violations.
The drugs that most commonly failed quality tests include formulations of paracetamol, sodium chloride injections, levocetirizine, azithromycin, metformin, vitamin D3, and iron-folic acid supplements.
Meanwhile, Health Minister Dinesh Gundu Rao emphasised that public safety remains a top priority. “We have taken legal action against those responsible and recalled all 41 drugs that failed the quality tests,” he said.
The minister also highlighted the need for a more robust tracking system to monitor the movement of drugs in the market. "I have always stressed the need for a system that flags poor-quality drugs so they can be removed completely from the market," TOI quoted Rao as saying.
He added a new system will be rolled out shortly which will store details of retailers, wholesalers, manufacturers, and their authorised agents. "This will help us trace and eliminate substandard drugs at every stage more efficiently," Rao added.
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Waqf row: Can't stay law made by Parliament when validity presumed, Centre tells SC
New Delhi (PTI): The Centre on Friday sought the Supreme Court to dismiss the pleas challenging validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 and said there cannot be a "blanket stay" on the law as there was a "presumption of its constitutionality".
In a 1,332-page preliminary counter affidavit, the government defended the contentious law saying that "shockingly" after 2013, there were an addition of over 20 lakh hectare (precisely 20,92,072.536) in waqf land.
"Right before even Mughal era, pre-independence era and post-independence era, the total of waqfs created was 18,29,163.896 acres of land in India," the affidavit said.
It claimed "reported misuse" of earlier provisions to encroach upon private and government properties.
The affidavit was filed by Shersha C Shaik Mohiddin, joint secretary in the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
"Settled position in law that constitutional courts would not stay a statutory provision, either directly or indirectly, and will decide the matter finally. There is a presumption of constitutionality that applies to laws made by Parliament," it added.
The Centre went on, "While this court would examine these challenges when the cases are heard, a blanket stay (or a partial stay) without being aware of the adverse consequences of such an order in a generality of cases (even on members of the Muslim community itself) were the petitions to be unsuccessful would, it is submitted, be uncalled for, especially in the context of the presumption of validity of such laws."
The affidavit said the pleas challenging the Act proceeded on false premise that amendments take away fundamental rights of religious freedom.
It said the court can review a law on the grounds of legislative competence and violation of fundamental rights under Article 32 of the Constitution.
The government said the amendments were undertaken after a very comprehensive, in-depth and analytical study by a parliamentary panel having members from major political parties .
"Parliament has acted within its domain to ensure that religious endowments like waqf are managed in a manner that upholds the trust reposed in them by the faithful and the society at large, without trespassing on religious autonomy," it said.
The law, the Centre said, was valid and result of a lawful exercise of legislative power.
The affidavit said replacing legislative regime, enacted by the legislature, was impermissible.
On April 17, the Centre had assured the top court that it would neither denotify waqf properties, including "waqf by user", nor make any appointments to the central waqf council and boards till May 5.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna is slated to hear the matter on May 5 on passing of interim orders.
