India's political landscape is ablaze with activity! From the ongoing debates surrounding the new farm bills and their impact on rural India, to the upcoming state elections shaping the national narrative, the stakes couldn't be higher. Key political figures are maneuvering strategically, with alliances shifting and power dynamics constantly in flux. The opposition's challenge to the ruling party is intensifying, sparking vigorous debates on crucial policy matters including economic reforms and social justice initiatives. Parliamentary proceedings are filled with heated exchanges, reflecting the deep divisions within the nation. This evolving political climate directly impacts the lives of every Indian citizen, influencing everything from economic opportunities to social welfare programs. Stay informed about the latest developments in Indian politics, from crucial legislative decisions to grassroots movements, by exploring Abtak.com for in-depth analysis and breaking news updates. Understanding the intricacies of our political system is crucial; stay engaged, stay informed, and stay ahead.
NEW DELHI: A junior Taliban minister visited India last week to participate in an exhibition on healthcare and pharmaceuticals. Deputy minister of medicine and food Hamdullah Zahid, who was in India, is equivalent to the rank of secretary in India's health ministry.This was a rare visit by a senior Taliban official to India. It also came ahead of a likely visit by the Taliban foreign minister Amir Khan Muttaqi later this year that is expected to further cement India's ties with the Taliban, even in the absence of a formal recognition by India of the regime in Kabul.As ties continue to improve, India has remained in touch with Taliban to finalise dates for Muttaqi's visit. After dates are worked out, India will seek a UNSC waiver from the travel ban imposed by the council on the Taliban leader. Unlike Muttaqi, Zahid isn't on a sanctioned list and didn't require UNSC's approval to travel to India.The Taliban head of political office and Afghan ambassador to Qatar, Suhail Shaheen, told TOI earlier this week that there's a need for both countries to upgrade and strengthen their ties. "For that, high level visits of foreign ministers' level is a need. It will pave the way for exploring various fields of cooperation including trade between the two countries," he said.
India's pharmaceutical industry, valued at $50 billion, is booming as a global leader in generic drugs. With significant exports to 200+ countries, India meets a substantial portion of global demand for affordable medicine. Challenges include regulatory hurdles and quality assurance, as the nation aims to expand its generic drug market. The Indian pharmaceutical industry, currently valued at $50 billion, is playing an increasingly crucial role on the global stage. Renowned as the 'pharmacy of the world,' India's pharma sector is a major exporter, supplying essential generic drugs to over 200 ...Read More >
New Delhi, Aug 25 (PTI) India and Fiji on Monday firmed up an action plan to boost defence ties and agreed to jointly work for a peaceful and inclusive Indo-Pacific as Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Fijian counterpart Sitiveni Ligamamada Rabuka held talks to expand the overall bilateral cooperation. India and Fiji may be oceans apart, but "our aspirations sail in the same boat", Modi said following the meeting. Rabuka, the prime minister of the South Pacific nation, arrived in Delhi on Sunday on a three-day trip to shore up Fiji's ties with India in a range of areas such as maritime se ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 10 (UNI) Signalling the resumption of normal diplomatic ties with the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, India today announced the upgradation of its technical mission in Kabul to the status of Embassy, two years after the Afghan Taliban overran Kabul. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, in his address to visiting Afghan Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi, conveyed India's decision on upgradation of the Indian technical mission to full embassy status today. He also announced other key measures, like provision of ambulances, visas, more food aid etc. The Afghan Taliba ...Read More >
WTC 2025 Updated Points Table: Team India's 2-0 Win Over West Indies Boosts PCT To 61.9% Bollywood lyricist and screenwriter Javed Akhtar expressed his disappointment on Monday over the grand reception given to Afghanistan's Foreign Minister and Taliban leader, Amir Khan Muttaqi, during his recent visit to India. Akhtar criticized the warm welcome, saying it left him "hanging his head in shame," reflecting his disapproval of India's treatment of the Taliban official. Taking over X (formerly Twi ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Officials of the Telangana Drugs Control Administration (DCA), along with the Karkhana police, on Friday raided an unlicensed premises in Namalagundu of Secunderabad following a tip-off about the illegal sale of prescription drugs. During the raid, officials seized 66 vials of 'Termin' and 'Termiva' injections from the premises, which was being run by one M Naresh.According to officials, the injections were being stocked and sold illegally to gym-goers for bodybuilding and performance ...Read More >
Chandigarh, March 30 (UNI) Haryana Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has issued a stern directive to the state health department to implement a real-time centralised drug inventory system across all government hospitals. During a comprehensive review meeting of health services at the Secretariat on Monday, the Chief Minister emphasised that digital transparency regarding medicine availability is non-negotiable. Under the new system, physicians will be kept informed about the specific stocks available within the facility to eliminate the practice of prescribing medicines from private pharmacies ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 3 (ANI): Industry leaders and experts have welcomed the Centre's decision to grant a full customs duty exemption on critical petrochemical products in response to the ongoing conflict in West Asia. The move, aimed at stabilising supply chains and reducing cost pressures on downstream sectors, is seen as a strategic intervention to protect domestic manufacturing. According to experts, the temporary exemption, effective until June 30, 2026, provides essential relief to industries ranging from pharmaceuticals and textiles to automotive components. The disruption in the ...Read More >
New York/New Delhi, July 8 (UNI) India has abstained from voting on the UN Resolution on Afghanistan, and said the international community must direct its coordinated efforts towards ensuring that entities and individuals designated by the UN Security Council along with their regional sponsors who facilitate their operations, no longer exploit the Afghan territory for terrorist activities. India's Permanent Representative to the UN, Ambassador P Harish, in his statement on the Resolution, welcomed the strong condemnation by Afghanistan of the Pahalgam terrorist attack on April 22 and said Ind ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 3 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday confirmed that Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi will be on an official visit to India from October 9-16. While addressing a media briefing in New Delhi, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) Committee has granted exemption for Muttaqi's travel to India. "All of you would have seen the exemption that has been granted by the UN Security Council Committee for the travel of Afghan Foreign Minister to New Delhi from October 9 to 16. This public informa ...Read More >
The Enforcement Directorate (ED) on Monday launched searches at seven locations in Chennai in connection with the Coldrif cough syrup case, which led to the deaths of several children. The raids are being conducted under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA) and are linked to Sreesan Pharma, the manufacturer of the syrup that is now banned across several states in the country. Premises being searched by the central probe agency reportedly include residences of top offic ...Read More >
Mumbai/Hyderabad, Oct 14 (Maxim News): Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi visited Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur, Uttar Pradesh, and was given a grand welcome during the visit. Expressing his disappointment, well-known Bollywood screenwriter and lyricist Javed Akhtar penned a heartfelt note on social media, saying that his head hung in shame after seeing the massive respect being given to the representative of the world's worst terrorist group, the Taliban. Taking to his X (Earlier known as Twitter) handle, Akhtar criticised the Darul Uloom Deoband in Saharanpur for giving the Tali ...Read More >
Mumbai: Dr Reddy's Laboratories has entered into a collaboration with Reykjavik, Ireland-based biotech company Alvotech to co-develop, manufacture and commercialise a biosimilar version of blockbuster cancer drug Keytruda for the global markets. Keytruda (generic name is pembrolizumab), manufactured and marketed by Merck & Co, is the most successful medicine, recording worldwide sales of $29.5 billion in 2024. It is used to treat multiple forms of cancer. Under the terms of the agreement, both companies will be jointly responsible for developing and manufacturing the biosimilar candidate and ...Read More >
New Delhi: Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi's arrival in New Delhi has placed Indian diplomats in a complex protocol quandary. It is whether to display the Taliban flag alongside the Indian Tricolour during his scheduled meeting with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Friday, October 10, or not. India does not officially recognise the Taliban government, making the question of flag placement a sensitive issue that carries both symbolic and political weight. Here's why India doesn't recognise the Taliban flag Since the Taliban seized control of Kabul in 2021, India has refrai ...Read More >
A government hospital in Gwalior has sealed its entire stock of Azithromycin antibiotic after a complaint alleged worms were found in a bottle given to a child. This incident follows recent child deaths in Madhya Pradesh linked to a toxic cough syrup. Samples of the antibiotic have been sent for testing. Amid child deaths linked to a toxic cough syrup in Madhya Pradesh, a government hospital in Gwalior is now facing a complaint over worms allegedly found in a bottle of antibiotic medicine given ...Read More >
New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs of India welcomed the Afghan Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, on his first official visit to the country. The visit reflects India's enduring support for Afghanistan's healthcare system. In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, "A warm welcome to the Afghan Minister of Public Health, H.E. Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, on his first official visit to India. The visit reflects India's enduring support for Afghanistan's healthcare system, and we look forward to productive discussions." This visit follows a series of official ...Read More >
Imphal: A doctor from Manipur's Senapati district saved the life of a 21-year-old passenger during a mid-air medical emergency on an Air India flight from Tokyo to New Delhi. Dr Loni Lirina, a critical care specialist at the American Oncology Institute, Babina Specialty Hospital in Imphal, was on board the flight when a young woman began experiencing severe breathing difficulties. Following an announcement by the flight crew requesting medical assistance, Dr Lirina promptly attended to the passenger. Upon examination, she immediately recommended oxygen support, nebulisation, and essential m ...Read More >
New Delhi, Jul 8 (PTI) Apex drug regulatory body CDSCO has listed 17 drugs which should be flushed down the toilet rather than being thrown in dustbins if they have expired or are unused to help prevent harm to people and pets at home. These include tramadol, tapentadol, diazepam, oxycodone and fentanyl which may be especially harmful and in some cases fatal with just one dose if they are used by someone other than the person for whom the medicine was prescribed, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO) said. Most of these medicines are used to control pain, anxiety and other ...Read More >
NEW DELHI/BATHINDA: The Directorate of Enforcement (ED) on Friday conducted searches at 22 de-addiction centres across Punjab, including in Chandigarh, Barnala and Ludhiana, after its investigation revealed illegal sale of drugs by these centres. The agency also searched a premise in Mumbai linked to the accused.Dr Amit Bansal, who runs these 22 centres, is prime accused in the case, sources said. Bansal, against whom Punjab Police has registered multiple FIRs, is alleged to be engaged in illegal sale of drugs from his de-addiction centres.Privately-run drug de-addiction centres in Punjab are ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], September 26 (ANI): India's pharmaceutical exports are not expected to face a major impact following the recent announcement of a 100 per cent tariff on branded and patented pharmaceutical products by the US, said Sudarshan Jain, General Secretary of the Indian Pharmaceutical Alliance (IPA). Speaking to ANI on Friday, Jain said that India's exports to the US primarily consist of generic drugs and active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which are not covered under this tariff. "This [100 per cent tariff on imported pharmaceutical drugs] is applicable to patented branded p ...Read More >
Pakistan's former Foreign Minister and Chairman of the Pakistan People's Party (PPP), Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, recently faced public embarrassment at a United Nations press briefing after he was fact-checked by a reporter for making unsubstantial claims that Muslims were being 'demonised' in India. Bilawal Bhutto, part of Islamabad's diplomatic team at the UN, made the remarks during a press conference to clarify Pakistan's stance on Kashmir. Pahalgam attack was politicised to demonise Indian Mus ...Read More >
Shimla (Himachal Pradesh) [India], September 26 (ANI): The Pharmaceutical companies and chemists in Shimla have begun implementing the revised GST night tariff on medicines, bringing much-needed relief to patients and the poor. Managers and pharmacy owners in the capital confirmed that the new reforms, effective as of September 22, have already reduced the prices of many essential and life-saving medications. Mahesh Bisht, Manager at a pharmaceutical company, explained the changes, "From September 22, the new GST reforms and tariffs have come into effect. Items that were earlier under the 12% ...Read More >
The World Health Organization is seeking details from India regarding a cough syrup linked to child deaths. Several Indian states have banned the 'Coldrif' syrup. Lab reports confirmed it contained a toxic industrial solvent. A criminal case has been registered against the manufacturer, Sresan Pharma. The doctor who prescribed the syrup has been arrested. The World Health Organization on Wednesday sought clarification from Indian authorities on whether a cough syrup linked to deaths of children ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 16 (ANI): The Ministry of External Affairs of India welcomed the Afghan Minister of Public Health, Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, on his first official visit to the country. The visit reflects India's enduring support for Afghanistan's healthcare system. In a post on X, MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal, "A warm welcome to the Afghan Minister of Public Health, H.E. Mawlawi Noor Jalal Jalali, on his first official visit to India. The visit reflects India's enduring support for Afghanistan's healthcare system, and we look forward to productive discussions." This visit f ...Read More >
* Six children have died of kidney failure in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district in 15 days * Investigators suspect contaminated cough syrup laced with toxic diethylene glycol as the cause of the deaths * Most of the victims had been administered Coldrif and Nextro-DS syrups, which have now been banned Did our AI summary help? Let us know. Switch To Beeps Mode In a heart-wrenching tragedy that has shaken Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district, six children have died of kidney failure in the ...Read More >
NEW DELHI, Oct 8 (Reuters) - Some Indian pharmaceutical firms failed to follow rules that every batch of medicinal ingredients is tested, the country's drug regulator said on Wednesday, opens new tab, after deaths in the past month of 17 children linked to toxic cough syrups. An advisory by the drugs controller general of India, Rajeev Raghuvanshi, said the regulator carried out checks at some factories and found serious lapses. In the advisory dated October 7 and posted on a government website ...Read More >
HYDERABAD, India, April 3 (Reuters) - Soon-to-be brides and grooms seeking shortcuts to shed pounds before the big day have become the latest consumer target for weight-loss drugs in India. New Delhi wellness clinic Klarity Skin Clinic touts a "Mounjaro bride" package, while other clinics have woven weight-loss injections into "pre-wedding" transformation packages typically focused on skin treatments and hairstyle makeovers. In a social media video, Klarity offers "guided nutrition, Mounjaro and smart workouts" to prepare brides to walk down the aisle. The clinic did not respond to a reques ...Read More >
Delhi Police have dismantled a large interstate operation manufacturing and distributing fake life-saving drugs, seizing counterfeit medications and exposing a complex network of fraudulent GST firms used to launder the illicit proceeds. Photograph: Yves Herman/ReutersKey PointsDelhi Police busted an interstate racket manufacturing and supplying spurious life-saving medicines, arresting six people.Counterfeit drugs worth approximately Rs 2 crore were seized, including fake versions of medicines ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Following the tragic deaths of six children in Madhya Pradesh's Chhindwara district from acute kidney failure, the Union health ministry has launched a comprehensive, multi-agency investigation. A team from the National Centre for Disease Control (NCDC) has been deployed to the region, officials familiar with the matter said. Health officials strongly suspect a contaminated cough syrup is responsible for the fatalities. Preliminary reports suggest the over-the-counter medicine may have been tainted with diethylene glycol (DEG), a highly toxic chemical known to cause severe kidney d ...Read More >
India has backed Afghanistan in its latest conflict with Pakistan, expressing full support for Afghan territorial integrity. In a media briefing on Thursday, Indian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal told reporters that Pakistan "hosts terrorist organizations" and "sponsors terrorist activities" in the neighborhood. "It is an old practice of Pakistan to blame its neighbors for its own internal failures, and Pakistan is infuriated with Afghanistan exercising sovereignty over its own t ...Read More >
Surat (Gujarat) [India], August 21: KP Group, a leading name in India's renewable energy sector, is stepping up its expansion with a clear goal of reaching 10 GW capacity by 2030. With projects already underway in Gujarat, the Group is working on projects in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, supported by a strong order book and government partnerships. KP Group has signed memoranda of understanding with Gujarat, Odisha, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh for over 2.6 GW of renewable projects, while exploring new opportunities in other states. The Group has already e ...Read More >