Acting on the recommendations of the Task Force on 'Enabling Private Sector to lead the growth of Pharmaceutical Industry', the department of pharmaceuticals (DoP) has constituted an Inter-Ministerial Coordination Committee for addressing issues of pharma industry. The committee will be headed by secretary, DoP.

The terms of reference of the committee will be to periodically review the constraints and issues being faced by the pharmaceutical industry; and to coordinate/facilitate resolution of these issues and problems of the sector on a regular basis.

The composition of the committee include representative of chairman, NPPA not below the rank of joint secretary; representative of secretary, department of health and family welfare not below the rank of joint secretary; representative of secretary, ministry of environment, forests and climate change not below the rank of joint secretary; representative of secretary, department of industrial policy & promotion not below the rank of joint secretary; and representative of secretary, department of commerce not below the rank of joint secretary.

Other members of the committee include representative of secretary, department of science and technology not below the rank of joint secretary; representative of secretary, department of biotechnology not below the rank of joint secretary; representative of secretary, department of revenue not below the rank of joint secretary; representative of chairman, Central Pollution Control Board not
below the rank of joint secretary; and Drug Controller General of India.

Earlier in June this year, the Task Force on 'Enabling the private sector to lead the growth of pharmaceutical sector in the country', had recommended that an inter-ministerial joint committee should be constituted to take care of the problems being faced by the pharma industry in the country as the pharma sector in the country is suffering due to multiple decision making authorities.

To provide thrust to the pharma sector, a task force on 'Enabling the Private Sector to lead the growth of Pharmaceutical Sector' was set up by the DoP in November last year, which was headed by secretary, DoP and consisted of representatives from Planning Commission, department of industrial policy and promotion, department of science and technology, department of biotechnology and various industry associations including IPA, IDMA, BDMA, OPPI, AIMED, CIIO, FICCI, ASSOCHAM, FOPE etc.