Social and Health Policy - Newspaper Summary

 The sources provide substantial insight into India’s Social and Health Policy in October 2025, highlighting major regulatory actions concerning drug safety, strategic national missions aimed at nutritional self-sufficiency and health infrastructure improvements, and critical failures in the private health insurance sector.

1. Regulatory Actions and Health Safety Oversight

The regulatory landscape is marked by urgent responses to public health crises, particularly concerning the quality of medical imports and domestically manufactured drugs.

Preventing Substandard Drug Imports

India's top drug regulator, the Central Drugs Standard Control Organization (CDSCO), is implementing a digital "gatekeeping" measure to ensure that only safe medical products enter the country.

• Digital Integration: The CDSCO is linking 34 designated ports of entry (sea, air, rail, road) with the Indian Customs Electronic Gateway (ICEGATE).
• Automated Oversight: This initiative is crucial for strengthening oversight of foreign-sourced medical goods. By mapping designated ports on ICEGATE, the system will automate the referral of Bills of Entry (BOE) to the correct CDSCO port office, verifying that drugs and devices do not enter through unapproved routes, as mandated by Rule 43-A of the Drugs Rules, 1945.
• Goal: This move aims to prevent the entry of substandard or counterfeit products into the domestic market and improve the strong execution of regulations.

Drug Manufacturing Safety Crisis

The period is shadowed by a critical failure in domestic pharmaceutical manufacturing standards, directly linked to child deaths.

• Toxic Cough Syrup Deaths: At least 17 children under the age of 5 have died in India in the past month after consuming cough medicine (Coldrif Syrup by Sresan Pharmaceutical Manufacturer) that contained toxic diethylene glycol at levels nearly 500 times the permissible limit.
• Lapses Found: Inspections carried out by the Drugs Controller General of India (DCGI), Rajeev Raghuvanshi, found serious lapses at some factories, noting that some firms failed to follow the rules requiring that every batch of medicinal ingredients is tested.
• Regulatory Response: Following the deaths, central authorities recommended cancelling the manufacturer's licence, police launched an investigation for manslaughter, and the public was advised to avoid two other cough syrup brands (Respifresh and RELIFE) also found to contain diethylene glycol. The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking clarification on whether contaminated syrup was exported.

2. National Health and Nutritional Missions

The government is addressing deep-seated issues regarding national nutrition and critical healthcare infrastructure reliance through strategic national missions.

Addressing India’s "Carb Addiction"

A study published in Nature Medicine highlighted a national health crisis stemming from poor dietary habits and the associated high risk of lifestyle diseases.

• Dietary Profile: Carbohydrates account for 62% of the calories Indians consume daily. Much of this intake consists of low-quality carbohydrates such as refined cereals (like white rice), milled whole grains, and added sugar.
• Health Risk: A high intake of carbohydrates is associated with a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, prediabetes, and other metabolic conditions. Over 80% of Indian adults show at least one metabolic risk factor (including newly diagnosed diabetes, prediabetes, obesity, or hypertension).
• Policy Suggestion: To counter this, the paper suggests leveraging the Public Distribution System (PDS) to increase the availability of pulses and lentils. Additionally, experts call for policies to curb aggressive marketing practices by brands and introduce front-of-the-packet labelling to address the role of ultra-processed foods in pushing up carb intake.
• Sugar Consumption: The consumption of added sugar is alarmingly high in 19 states and Union Territories, exceeding the recommended 5% of total calorie intake.

Mission for Self-Sufficiency in Pulses (Nutrition and Agriculture)

In line with the suggested dietary improvements, the government has launched a major mission focused on pulse production.

• The Mission: Approved by the Cabinet on October 1, the Mission for Atmanirbharta (self-sufficiency) in pulses runs from FY26 to FY31 with an allocation of ₹11,440 crore.
• Goals: The mission aims to raise output from 25 million tonnes (mt) in FY25 to 35 mt in FY31 by developing more productive and climate-resilient varieties and bringing an additional 3.5 million hectares under pulses.
• Economic Context: This initiative addresses the stagnation of domestic production and the soaring import bill, which grew over threefold from $1.6 billion in FY21 to $5.5 billion in FY25. The mission seeks to encourage farmers by subsidizing new processing units, post-harvest infrastructure, and guaranteeing Minimum Support Prices (MSP).

Expanding Renal Care Infrastructure (Make in India)

India faces a rapidly emerging public health challenge in Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), driven by rising diabetes and hypertension rates.

• Import Dependency Trap: The healthcare system is severely strained by the heavy reliance on imported dialysis machines. This dependence results in high capital and treatment costs, making dialysis inaccessible for many, especially in Tier-2 and Tier-3 cities, and creates supply chain vulnerability.
• Strategic Shift: To address this critical market failure, Lord’s Mark Industries is introducing a localized and cost-effective solution, aligning with the national goal of self-reliance in the medical devices sector. The goal is to establish a domestic manufacturing ecosystem to reduce costs, strengthen healthcare infrastructure, and allow for the proliferation of dialysis centers.

3. Social Security and Policy Implementation

Social policy discussions include proposed legislative changes for coal workers and persistent issues regarding health insurance claim resolution.

Social Security for Coal Workers

The Coal Ministry is proposing to introduce new legislation to ensure social security and pensionary benefits for coal workers.

• This new law, once approved by Parliament, will replace the 77-year-old Coal Mines Provident Fund and Miscellaneous Provisions Act, 1948.
• The legislation will account for modern developments in areas such as working conditions, wage regulation, social security, and digitalization.

Challenges in Health Insurance Policy Renewal

A significant policy and regulatory gap exists in the private health insurance sector, where insurers are failing to comply fully with Insurance Ombudsman rulings.

• The Problem: Insurers often cancel policies when rejecting claims based on alleged non-disclosure or fraud. Even after the Ombudsman rules in favor of the policyholder and orders the claim paid, insurers often deny renewal of the policy.
• Consequences: Individuals who have undergone major surgery find it extremely difficult to secure a new policy afterward, as insurers are reluctant to cover them.
• Regulatory Loopholes: This issue is exacerbated by the lack of standardization across the 17 insurance ombudsman offices. If a ruling does not explicitly mandate renewal, insurers exploit this gap to refuse it.
• IRDAI Oversight Urged: Experts are urging the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) to standardize awards, mandate the reinstatement of policies after a ruling in the policyholder's favor, and consistently enforce the payment of penalty interest (2% above the prevalent bank rate) for delayed claim settlements, as required by law.
• Goal of Inclusion: Separately, IRDAI flagged that if the current distribution structure continues, the goal of achieving ‘Insurance for All’ by 2047 will fail, as the industry will only reach the same set of customers already covered.