India’s hemp industry is trapped in a statutory paradox. By contrast, Section 2(iv), NDPS Act, defines “cannabis plant” as “any plant of the genus cannabis”. The reasoning was anchored in the strict statutory definition under Section 2(iv), which covers any plant of the genus cannabis. This precedent underscores that unless Section 2, NDPS Act itself is amended, administrative innovations such as THC-based thresholds remain ultra vires. However, this policy rests on subordinate legislation conferred by NDPS Act through Sections 10 and 14.

This may hit local manufacturing besides pushing up drug prices as producers may be forced to pass on the higher costs to consumers. "Importers, squeezed by surging raw material costs, are passing the pain directly to big pharma companies," said an industry official. "Data accessed by ET showed prices of some key raw materials have risen by more than 60%. "Pharmaceutical solvents- made from petrochemicals-have surged 20-30% within a week as the Middle East conflict continues to disrupt global oil supply," said Mehul Shah, a pharma industry expert. "Pharma industry being highly price regulated, it is difficult to absorb unprecedented increase in price of inputs," Harish Jain, national president, Federation of Pharma Entrepreneurs.

Subscribe to Newsletter to get latest insights & analysis in your inbox. Download the ETPharma App and get the Realtime updates and Save your favourite articles. By Ludwig ​BurgerFRANKFURT, - The two co-founders and leading executives of Germany's BioNTech will leave the COVID-19 vaccine maker by the end of 2026 to start again with a new company, the biotech firm said on Tuesday. BioNTech said ​its current drug development pipeline, including cancer therapies and the COVID-19 vaccine ⁠franchise, would be unaffected by the founders' plans to strike out ​on their own. ($1 = 0.8593 euros) (Reporting by Ludwig Burger, Editing by Linda Pasquini and Louise Heavens)>

Fears of a disruption in LPG supplies amid the Iran war have triggered anxiety among households and restaurants. In New Delhi, Thiruvananthapuram and Bhubaneswar, restaurant owners reported warnings from LPG delivery agents about possible shortages. ADVERTISEMENTAshish Ahuja, who owns two restaurants in South East Delhi, uses piped gas. Hospitality bodies, including the National Restaurant Association of India, have urged petroleum minister Hardeep Singh Puri to clarify the government’s position on commercial LPG. J.K. Mohanty, chairman of Hotel and Restaurant Association of Odisha, said the disruption could affect tourism, bookings and livelihoods, including 50,000 hotel workers in Odisha alone.

The Pentagon says around 140 US troops were injured during the first 10 days of the conflict with Iran. United States Department of Defence has confirmed that nearly 140 American service members have been injured during the first ten days of the ongoing conflict with Iran. The announcement offers the first detailed look at the number of troops hurt in retaliatory attacks launched by Tehran since the fighting began. Earlier in the fighting, Iranian strikes resulted in the deaths of seven American service members stationed in the Gulf region. In response, Iran launched waves of missiles and drone attacks aimed at countries hosting American troops and military bases across West Asia.

Judicial independence is not limited to freedom from political or institutional pressure or popular opinion. Constitutional conviction is the foundation of a judicial opinion; it cannot be diluted or negotiated for the sake of consensus. The judge added that judicial independence is particularly important in cases of judicial review where legislation may have to be set aside or executive action restrained. Justice Nagarathna’s comments open up the larger issue of the attitude to dissent by courts, particularly the lower courts. The enlightened attitude of the Supreme Court towards dissent is not usually reflected in the actions of the lower courts.

Mojtaba Khamenei had been a bit of a mysterious figure, even within Iran. But now, with his appointment as Supreme Leader after the assassination of his father, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, during Iran’s continuing war with the United States of America and Israel, it may be time for Iran’s new apex leader to step out of the shadows. It would be interesting to see whether Mojtaba Khamenei makes cynical use of the ideas of reform and moderation to calm domestic tempers — for a while. The office of the Supreme Leader has held Iran in an iron grasp ever since the Iranian revolution. So much so that the Iranian State, its values and functions were no longer distinct entities: they were subsumed by the Supreme Leader by carefully balancing, so to speak, the Church and the State.

Ameya Sathaye is the Publisher and Editor-in-Chief of Sarkaritel.com, a leading portal focusing on government policies, programs, and contacts. With extensive experience in journalism and media, Ameya has participated in international conferences such as the World Internet Conference 2015 in Wuzhen, China. He has also engaged in discussions on critical topics like cyber security on platforms like Doordarshan's "Good Evening India" live show. Under his leadership, Sarkaritel.com has become a trusted source for timely and accurate information on government affairs.

The full gamut of conditions that comprise metabolic diseases, usually impacting people with advancing age, are affecting even children, studies show. As per the report, released on World Obesity Day (March 4), in 2025, there were 14.9 million children in the 5-9 years group and more than 26.4 million children in the 10-19 age group in India who were overweight or obese. About 41 million children had a high BMI rate. Further, estimates suggest that by 2040, 20 million children in India will be obese and 56 million will be overweight. While, globally, China leads both categories, with 62 million children with high BMI and 33 million with obesity, India comes second, and is tailed by the United States (27 million high BMI; 13 million obesity).

Today I am proud to announce that America First Refining is opening the FIRST new U.S. Oil Refinery in 50 YEARS in Brownsville, Texas. THIS IS A HISTORIC $300 BILLION DOLLAR DEAL -- THE BIGGEST IN U.S. HISTORY, A MASSIVE WIN for American Workers, Energy, and the GREAT People of South Texas! Thank you to our partners in India, and their largest privately held Energy Company, Reliance, for this tremendous Investment." This is what AMERICAN ENERGY DOMINANCE looks like. Leavitt told the media, "Rest assured to the American people, recent increase in oil and gas prices is temporary and this operation will result in lower gas prices in the long term.

IndiGo’s chief executive Pieter Elbers has resigned, an abrupt departure following months of scrutiny over the carrier’s failure to plan properly for pilot ​rest and duty rules that left tens of thousands of passengers stranded. The airline has a roughly ​65 per cent market share in India, the world’s fastest-growing aviation market. Regulators later reprimanded Elbers for “inadequate overall ​oversight of flight operations and crisis management”. In the aftermath, India’s aviation regulator fined ​IndiGo ₹22 crore and reprimanded several ​senior executives. Accused of creating artificial scarcity, IndiGo also faced criticism from the Competition Commission of India, which ordered an investigation into IndiGo’s massive flight cancellations, finding prima facie evidence that the carrier’s dominance hurt the aviation market.

Sanju Samson, Abhishek Sharma, Ishan Kishan and Jasprit Bumrah played massive roles in India’s successful T20 World Cup defence. If not for some timely scalps and sharp catches at crucial junctures from Axar Patel, would retaining the T20 crown be so easy for India? Not just the wickets and catches, even the dot balls from Axar, especially in the Powerplay, were priceless in India’s Cup journey. “Those two catches underline the kind of improvement Axar has made in terms of awareness as well as maturity,” a Team India source said on Tuesday. “Well, Axar used to be just as useful even before this World Cup.

The Assam government on Tuesday decided to rename Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital as Barpeta Medical College and Hospital. We see that in the medical colleges in Guwahati, Dhubri, Silchar, Bongaigaon, Biswanath and Sonitpur. Somehow, the Barpeta one was named as Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, which does not align with the naming pattern of other medical colleges," he said. Sarma said the government would name another institution after former President Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed in recognition of his stature. Somehow, the Barpeta one was named as Fakhruddin Ali Ahmed Medical College and Hospital, which does not align with the naming pattern of other medical colleges.

Indian officials say the project aims to establish a sustainable population of free-ranging cheetahs, decades after the species was declared locally extinct in 1952. But only 15 cheetahs or their cubs are currently roaming freely outside fenced enclosures, a project official said, requesting anonymity. Project planners said in 2022 that Kuno’s 748sqkm offered abundant prey and could hold 21 free-ranging cheetahs. Amid the criticism about the prolonged confinement of the animals, project officials say the programme does not follow a “simplistic catch-transport-release” approach. “In a successful introduction, we should see cheetahs free-ranging in the open wild permanently, not being recaptured every time they approach human settlements,” Gopalaswamy said.

The United States has issued a strong warning to Iran over reports that mines may have been placed in the Strait of Hormuz, a critical maritime route for global oil shipments. The United States Central Command later shared footage on social media showing operations aimed at weakening Iran’s maritime capabilities. She noted that military operations would continue until the objectives of “Operation Epic Fury” are met. The conflict has raised concerns about global energy markets because the Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s most important oil transit routes. Nearly one-fifth of global oil supplies pass through the narrow channel, making any disruption there a major risk to international energy security.