New Delhi, Dec 3 (IANS) A total of Rs 4,763.34 crore worth investment has been made in the three and a half years under the scheme for Promotion of Bulk Drug Parks till September 2025, against an investment commitment of Rs 4,329.95 crore over the period of six years in greenfield projects, according to the government.The PLI scheme for Bulk Drugs is aimed at avoiding disruption in supply of critical Active Pharmaceutical Ingredients (APIs) used to make critical drugs for which there are no alte…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Surveillance on respiratory illnesses shows no unusual surge of influenza in the country, the government said on Tuesday. Union Health Minister JP Nadda chaired a high-level review meeting in the national capital, where he was informed that the country is well-prepared to handle respiratory illnesses.Health Secretary Punya Salila Srivastava explained that “India typically experiences two seasonal peaks of influenza — during August-October (monsoon peak) and January-March…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) A total of 600 districts in the country have been providing palliative care to patients suffering from chronic life-limiting illnesses, the Union Health Minister informed the Parliament on Tuesday.The government launched the National Programme for Palliative Care (NPPC) in 2012 to provide pain relief and symptom management for patients with life-limiting illnesses like cancer and AIDS.“Six hundred districts have been covered under the National Program for Palliative Car…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) The national telemedicine service, known as eSanjeevani, has facilitated more than 43 crore consultations till November 23, said Union Minister for Health Prataprao Jadhav in the Parliament on Tuesday.eSanjeevani has been designed to be an inclusive and accessible platform, providing free teleconsultation services to all, ensuring that even the economically disadvantaged can benefit from quality healthcare.“The services are operational across all 28 states, and 8 Union …

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) India’s banks have settled more than Rs 10,000 crore worth of unclaimed deposits in the last three years, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday.In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, the Minister of State for Finance Pankaj Chaudhary informed that both Public Sector Banks (PSBs) and Private Sector Banks have handed back thousands of inactive or forgotten accounts to rightful claimants between April 2022 and November 2025.Under Reserve Bank of India’s Depositor Educat…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) More than 700 cough syrup manufacturers have been under intense scrutiny, following a spate of deaths in children in Madhya Pradesh after consuming the contaminated syrups, Union Minister of State for Health Anupriya Patel told the Parliament on Tuesday.As many as 26 children from Chhindwara, Pandhurna, and Betul districts of Madhya Pradesh, mostly under the age of five, reportedly died due to kidney failure after they were administered the Coldrif cough syrup.“More tha…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Nearly 25 crore Indians have been sensitised against drug abuse under the Nasha Mukt Bharat Abhiyaan (NMBA), the government told the Parliament on Tuesday.NMBA was launched by the Department of Social Justice and Empowerment in 2020 to fight the growing concern of drug addiction in 272 of the most vulnerable districts in the country.The NMBA is now extended to all districts of the country, said Union Minister of State for Social Justice and Empowerment B.L. Verma, in a wr…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) India’s startup ecosystem continues to expand at a steady pace, with the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT) recognising 1,97,692 startups as on October 31, 2025, the Parliament was informed on Tuesday. Nearly two lakh startups have been formally recognised under the Startup India initiative, which was launched in 2016 to promote entrepreneurship and ease doing business, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said in a written reply to a question in Lok…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) Emphasis on inclusivity and self-reliance for everyone is driving a strong movement for disability rights in India, said the government on Tuesday.According to the Census 2011, there are 2.68 crore persons with disabilities in India, which constitutes 2.21 percent of the total population. Out of these, approximately 1.50 crore are male, and 1.18 crore are female.The Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, defined “person with disability” as someone who has a long-t…

New Delhi, Dec 2 (IANS) India is well-positioned to tackle digital inequality and shape an inclusive transition in Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the world, said a new United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) report released on Tuesday.While AI is advancing at a historic pace, strong digital ecosystems in some countries and limited connectivity, skills, and infrastructure in others are widening gaps.The report, focussed on the Asia Pacific region, warned that without deliberate action, AI c…