Act against illegal sale of medicines online: Delhi HC to govts.
The Hindu
Court directs Centre, Delhi govt. to act against online sale of drugs without valid licence; petitions challenge draft rules published by Ministry of Health and Family Welfare; interim order bans such activity; Centre given 6 weeks to take steps; matter listed for Nov. 16.
The Delhi High Court has directed the Centre and the Delhi government to act against people selling pharmaceutical drugs online without a valid licence.
The court’s direction came while hearing a batch of pleas seeking a ban on such sale and challenging the draft rules published by the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to further amend the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945.
One such petition by Zaheer Ahmed sought contempt action against e-pharmacies that continue to sell drugs online despite the High Court’s order on December 12, 2018, which banned these entities across the country from such activity without a licence.
The petitioner contended that illegal sale of medicines online will lead to a “drug epidemic, drug abuse, and misutilisation of habit forming and addictive drugs”.
Counsel for the Central government informed a Bench of Chief Justice Satish Chandra Sharma and Justice Sanjeev Narula that consultations are going on about a draft notification on the online sale of drugs.
In its order on August 28, the Bench gave the Centre six weeks’ time to take appropriate steps and inform the court of its final stand on the issue.
“In the interim, the Union of India and State government are directed to take necessary action, in accordance with law, in respect of persons acting in violation of the interim order dated December 12, 2018, that is, engaging in online sale of drugs without a valid licence,” it added.
The All-India level NEET examination was started a few years ago to counter complaints of corruption during the joint entrance examinations held at the State level. AIDSO had warned the authorities that the solution to the menace of corruption was not changing the examination system, but to investigate the corruption and punish the guilty.