|
India Thinkers Net Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
| << March18, 2005 - India Thinkers Net |
March21, 2005 - India Thinkers Net >> |
|
1]From: Regi P George <george_regi@yahoo.com> Date: Sat Mar 19, 2005 1:33pm Subject: Battle against "baby oil" continues Battle against "baby oil" continues By Kalpana Sharma MUMBAI, MARCH 18. Any company selling a product using the word "baby" in the label for it is now under the scanner. The Maharashtra Food and Drugs Commissioner, A. Ramakrishna, told The Hindu that the process of verifying the contents of other "baby" products was underway. This, he said, was necessary after the notice the Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) issued to Johnson & Johnson on March 15 asking how products containing paraffin oil could be touted as suitable for babies. "We are not targeting a particular company", Mr. Ramakrishna said. He said other companies like Dabur, Wipro and Himalaya, which also produced "baby oil" and other products for infants, had been asked to furnish information by the FDA about their contents. This could be followed by tests on the products by the FDA. Mr. Ramakrishna said worldwide the term "baby oil" referred to mild oil that could be used by adults and babies. It is not sold primarily as oil for babies. But in India, the connotation of the term "baby" would suggest that it was primarily for infants. He said in India vegetable oil was traditionally used for babies. Thus, it was likely that people would use the product assuming that it contained only vegetable oil. The FDA's primary concern, Mr. Ramakrishna said, was to ensure that companies did not give misleading information. What had begun as an investigation into baby products would inevitably lead to the much larger question of the content of cosmetics, he said. "But we can only do one thing at a time," he added. ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2] "Life-saving drugs will be out of reach" -Suresh Kurup "Life-saving drugs will be out of reach" By Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. The CPI (M) member in the Lok Sabha, Suresh Kurup, today opposed the Patents (Amendment) Bill, 2005. He questioned the need to take the ordinance route when the January 1, 2005, deadline was decade-old. The new regime would put life-saving drugs out of the reach of the common man, he said and added that this violated Article 21 of the Constitution that gives every citizen the fundamental right to life. Speaking in a similar vein, Varkala Radhakrishnan (CPI-M) said the Bill should have been introduced through the normal course as the Government knew the new regime had to be in place by January 1, 2005. Describing the decision to invoke Article 123 of the Constitution to promulgate an ordinance as a "fraud on the Constitution," he said. M.P. Veerendra Kumar (Janata Dal-Secular) wanted to know whether the Government considered Parliament an "informing body." Similar views were echoed by N.N. Krishnadas (CPI-M) and Prabodh Panda (CPI). From the National Democratic Alliance benches, the lone member to give notice, P.C. Thomas (Indian Federal Democratic Party), was absent but V. K. Malhotra (BJP) took up the matter. Left deplores U.S. `interference' By Our Special Correspondent NEW DELHI, MARCH 18. The Left parties today criticised interference by the United States in the India-Iran-Pakistan gas pipeline project and said that the United Progressive Alliance (UPA) Government should also "deplore" Washington's "interference." The Communist Party of India said America's policy towards West Asia was well-known and that after Afghanistan and Iraq, it was trying hard for a regime change in Iran. The party said the U.S. has levelled the "same old charges'' against Iran and in its pursuit to impose its will on the people of West Asia, it "tries to dictate what relations should be there between India and Iran and all other West Asian countries." "The UPA Government should deplore the U.S. interference and reiterate our commitment to an independent foreign policy and to economic cooperation with friendly countries such as Iran in West Asia. Iran pipeline once materialised will be a great safeguard for energy in South and West Asia,'' the party Central Secretariat said in a statement. The CPI (M) Polit Bureau, in session here, said that the United States had "no business'' to interfere in a decision among three sovereign countries to cooperate in building a gas pipeline. "It is good that the Indian Foreign Minister stated India's intention to continue discussions with Iran on the project,'' a statement said. It also said that the Bush administration has targeted Iran and was adopting the familiar patter of raising false charges to isolate a country that does not bow to its dictates. "Both India and Pakistan Governments would do well to rebuff such arrogant interference and proceed with the project speedily which will be of benefit to all three countries concerned," the Polit Bureau said in its statement. http://www.hindu.com/2005/03/19/02hdline.htm |
|
| << March18, 2005 - India Thinkers Net |
March21, 2005 - India Thinkers Net >> |
|
India Thinkers Net Archives Index
|
Subscribe
|
|
|
Archives powered by Zinester's Mailing List Service
Details on India Thinkers Net |
Browse for more newsletters at Zinester's Ezine Directory
Managed by Zinester's Mailing List Management |