[Ip-health] ZeeNews: Mashelkar can resubmit report - Govt

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http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=3D359785&sid=3DNAT


      Mashelkar panel to review its report on patent laws


      New Delhi, March 13: The government today said it has asked an expert=
 group under R A Mashelkar to re-examine its report on patent law issues an=
d remove inaccuracies.

      "The government has agreed to allow the technical expert group to rem=
ove technical inaccuracies in the report," Minister of State for Industry A=
shwani Kumar told Lok Sabha in a written reply to a question.

      He said the group was set up to examine whether patents should be gra=
nted to new chemical entity or new medical entity, involving one or more in=
ventive steps.

      The group was also asked to examine whether it would be compatible wi=
th the trips agreement of the WTO to exclude micro-organisms from patenting=
.

      Kumar said reports had surfaced in the media regarding plagiarism in =
the report and the chairman of the group requested for government approval =
to withdraw the report and re-examine it.

      He said that the group would take three months for resubmitting the r=
eport.

      In reply to another question, Kumar said there was no committee on fo=
reign direct investment which has asked national security council secretari=
at to provide guidelines for sectors and nations from which investment need=
 to be closely monitored.

      Govt takes initiatives to promote medical tourism

      To promote medical tourism in the country, the government has taken s=
everal initiatives, the Rajya Sabha was informed today.

      In a written reply, Minister of Tourism and Culture Ambika Soni said,=
 "The Ministry of Tourism in collaboration with the Ministry of Health has =
already initiated several measures to promote medical tourism."

      Apart from promoting India as a healthcare destination in internation=
al travel fairs and overseas market, publicity materials like brochure, CDs=
 and films have been distributed in the target markets.

      "A guide on select Indian hospitals of the country for health tourism=
 purposes has been placed on the tourism ministry`s website for wider publi=
city," Soni said.

      10% subsidy on loans to promote budget hotels

      A subsidy of 10 per cent is offered on the loans to promote the const=
ruction of budget category hotels in India, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

      In a reply, Ambika Soni said a tax holiday for five years for the bud=
get hotels has already been announced by the Minister of Finance in the pro=
posed budget 2007-2008.

      This would apply to hotels being constructed in Delhi and some adjoin=
ing districts to promote investment in this sector.

      Construction of hotels is primarily a private sector activity and the=
 ministry only facilitates the process, Soni said.

      An estimated 30,000 additional hotel rooms will be required in Delhi =
and the national capital region to meet the requirement of Commonwealth Gam=
es 2010.

      A budgetary allocation of Rs 10 crore has been proposed for the year =
2007-2008 for creation of land banks for hotels, the minister said.

      Bureau Report

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