Title: A model protest
(Maharashtra’s farmers win hearts and minds; their
issues must be addressed everywhere)
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The grueling (tiring) six-day march of
nearly 200 km from Nashik to Mumbai by thousands of farmers, with the aim to
gherao the Maharashtra Assembly and sensitise the government to their problems,
was remarkable.
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The manner in which they conducted
themselves — without disrupting the lives of other citizens and refraining from
aggressive sloganeering — is not how India’s myriad (multitude) protesters
typically behave.
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‘Deeply humbled’ by the farmers’
reasonable approach, Mr. Fadnavis said he respected them and had no problem in
accepting most of their demands, leading the farmers to end the stir and board
special trains to go back home.
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While this should perhaps serve as a model
for protesters and administrators across India, there is also a lesson to be
learnt about how to deal with unrest of this nature, which other States such as
Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan have had to contend with.
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Demands, includes a complete farm loan
waiver, implementation of the recommendations of the M.S. Swaminathan
Commission, providing forest rights and better compensation for land acquired
by the government.
M.S. Swaminathan Commission
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The government of India constituted the
National Commission on Farmers (NCF) on November 18, 2004. The NCF was chaired
by Professor M.S. Swaminathan. It submitted five reports to the
government.
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The reports had suggestions for “faster
and more inclusive growth” for farmers as was envisaged in the Planning
Commission’s Approach to 11th Five Year Plan.
Title: An urgent prescription
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(India needs to shore up(support) public
sector capacity for making medicines)
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India is rightly acclaimed(दावा) to be
the pharmacy of the world, with its huge private sector capacity for producing
branded and unbranded generic drugs.
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Much of this growth took place after India
opted for process patenting over product patenting in 1970.
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This changed to a product patent regime in
2005, providing sufficient time for growth of the generic drug industry in the
private sector.
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However, this period has also seen the
decline and near disappearance of public sector capacity for manufacture of
drugs and vaccines. That is a cause for worry.
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Compulsory licensing (CL) is a mechanism
permitted by the Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS)
agreement to enable countries to issue licences to domestic drug manufacturers
to produce and market affordable generic versions of life-saving drugs needed
for meeting serious public health challenges that are of extreme urgency.
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This allows countries to overcome patent
restrictions to assure availability of such drugs when the situation demands.
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Drugs effective against multi-drug
resistant tuberculosis and anti-cancer drugs are clear examples of such a need,
which should be addressed through compulsory licensing.
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The World Health Organisation (WHO) has
now invited expressions of interest from drug manufacturers to produce generic
versions of two effective but expensive anti-tubercular drugs, bedaquiline and
delamanid. Patients with drug-resistant TB require a combination of both these
drugs.
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India has used the CL route previously to
permit two Indian companies, Natco and Cipla, to produce a potent anti-cancer
drug nexavar. This enabled a 32-fold reduction in the cost of the drug.
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If the domestic private sector drug
manufacturers are not ready to apply for CL, for whatever reason, public sector
capacity to seek and utilise such licences becomes indispensable.
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With the acquisition of Indian drug
companies by foreign manufacturers, or ‘strategic alliances’ which place
shackles on the Indian partners, public sector capacity for manufacturing life
saving drugs under a CL is the much needed fall-back option.
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The High Level Expert Group Report on
Universal Health Coverage for India (2011) clearly articulated the need for
strengthening public sector units (PSUs) which have drug manufacturing
capability.
Vocabulary words:
- Gruelling (adj) = Extremely tiring and demanding (भयंकर, थकानेवाला)
- Remarkable (adj) = Extraordinary (असाधारण)
- Refrain (verb) = Abstain (बचना)
- Myriad (noun) = Multitude (असंख्य)
- Stir (noun) = A slightly physical movement (हलचल)
- Pitch (verb) = Solidify (स्थिर करना)
- Unflustered (adj) = Not agitated (आत्म - संयम)
- Persuade (verb) = Convince (राजी)
- Commuters (noun) = Travelers, passengers (यात्रियों)
- Negotiate (verb) = Consort, converse (बातचीत करना)
- Contend (verb) = Struggle to a difficulty (संघर्ष करना)
- Caveat (noun) = Warning, caution (चेतावनी)
- Efficacy (noun) = The ability to produce a desired result (प्रभावोत्पादकता)
