The Delhi High Court on Friday questioned the Centre on its decision to put a ceiling on the prices of condoms saying what was the issue if consumers are willing to pay for premium or luxury male contraceptives.
A bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw posed the query to the government while hearing a plea by pharma firms Reckitt Benckiser and JK Ansell Ltd (JKAL) who have challenged the government’s decision to put a ceiling on the prices of condoms.
Additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Centre, responded that condoms are currently in the national list of essential medicines and there can be no gradation, of luxury and ordinary, where drugs are concerned. The pharma firms have in their pleas contended that their products are ‘devices’ not ‘medicines’ and thus would not fall under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). Therefore, no cap can be put on the prices, they said.
A bench of chief justice G Rohini and justice Rajiv Sahai Endlaw posed the query to the government while hearing a plea by pharma firms Reckitt Benckiser and JK Ansell Ltd (JKAL) who have challenged the government’s decision to put a ceiling on the prices of condoms.
Additional solicitor general Sanjay Jain, appearing for the Centre, responded that condoms are currently in the national list of essential medicines and there can be no gradation, of luxury and ordinary, where drugs are concerned. The pharma firms have in their pleas contended that their products are ‘devices’ not ‘medicines’ and thus would not fall under the Drug Price Control Order (DPCO). Therefore, no cap can be put on the prices, they said.