Even though a string of important Bills related to pharma and health sectors are waiting to be introduced in Parliament for its final nod, only one major Bill, the NBRA Bill, finds a place in the tentative list for transaction of business during the ongoing monsoon session of Parliament which has started on August 1.
The NBRA Bill is being introduced to establish Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India to regulate research, import, transport, use of organism and product produced from modern biotechnology. A total of 34 new Bills have been listed in the tentative list of government legislative and other business which are expected to be taken up during the eight session of 15th Lok Sabha which is underway.
Besides the National Biotechnology Regulatory Authority of India Bill, 2010 (NBRA Bill), the other three relatively unimportant Bills that have been listed for introduction in Parliament are the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill and the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill.
While the Indian Medical Council (Amendment) Bill, 2011 is being introduced to amend section 3A of the parent Act to increase the period allowed for reconstitution of the Council from one year to two years, the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2011 is being intro to amend certain provisions of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (61 of 1985).
Likewise, the Regional Centre for Biotechnology Bill, 2011 is being introduced to provide for the establishment of an Institution of national importance to be known as the Regional Centre for Bio-Technology for training and education as a category II institution under the auspices of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization to undertake research in the field of Bio-technology and to provide for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
Meanwhile, the two Bills which were earlier introduced in Parliament and referred to standing committees may get the final nod during this session. These include the Jawaharlal Institute of Post-Graduate Medical Education and Research, Puducherry (Amendment) Bill, 2010, which was introduced on August 5, 2010 (the Report of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare was laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on November 10, 2010) and the National Institute of Mental Health and Neurosciences, Bangalore Bill, 2010 , which was introduced on December 7, 2010 (the Report of the Standing Committee on Health and Family Welfare was laid on the Table of Lok Sabha on March 4, 2011). Both these Bills have been listed for consideration and passing.