New Delhi, Oct 18: Drug pricing regulator NPPA on Saturday capped trade margins on 137 non-scheduled anti-cancer formulations at 30 per cent, according to an official statement.

The move, effective November 9, is expected to slash retail prices of these critical life-saving medicines by up to 70 per cent depending on their current price structures, the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers statement said.

The National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority (NPPA), functioning under the Department of Pharmaceuticals, implemented the Trade Margin Rationalisation (TMR) mechanism under Paragraph 19 of the Drugs (Prices Control) Order (DPCO), 2013, following a gazette notification issued on Saturday.

The intervention stems from recommendations by an expert committee constituted under the Directorate General of Health Services (DGHS), comprising leading oncologists, medical specialists, hospital experts from across the country, and government officials.

The committee recommended 137 drugs for margin rationalisation, and the list will be updated periodically.

The exercise builds on the success of NPPA’s 2019 pilot TMR initiative, in which trade margins on 42 anti-cancer medicines were capped at 30 per cent, leading to an MRP reduction of up to 90 per cent across 526 brands.

The measure broadens that framework to cover a significantly larger basket of cancer medicines, the statement said.

Drugmakers are mandated to publish revised price lists on their official websites and disseminate widely among retailers and hospitals.

Furthermore, retailers and hospitals must charge reduced rates from November 9 and display the revised prices in their pharmacies. Hospitals, which directly procure a substantial share of oncology medicines, are also required to prominently exhibit the new rates on their websites and will bear direct responsibility for ensuring the revised prices are implemented on the ground, it said.

Consumers can verify and check the updated drug rates through the NPPA website and the ‘Pharma Sahi Daam’ mobile app.

To ensure strict adherence, state drug controllers have been directed to enforce compliance across manufacturers, dealers, retailers, hospitals, and medical institutions.

Addressing supply-chain concerns, NPPA underscored that the rationalisation seeks to curb excessive margins in the distribution and retail channels without denting legitimate manufacturing revenues or causing artificial shortages.

Pharmaceutical companies have been directed to maintain their current production and supply levels for the notified formulations to guarantee uninterrupted and timely access to vital medicines for patients across the country, the statement added.

Mumbai, Oct 18: Unidentified person/s fired at actor Tiger Shroff’s car in Mumbai’s Juhu area on Sunday evening, though he is unhurt, police said.

The incident took place near Pushpa Park under Juhu police station limits in the western suburb, and the chain of events leading to the incident is being pieced together, an official said.

“Shroff is safe and has not sustained any injuries in the firing incident,” the official reiterated.

As per preliminary reports, an unidentified individual fired upon the actor and his friend.

A viral video showed an unidentified person opening fire on the actor’s car.

A massive manhunt has been launched to nab those involved, with specialised teams checking CCTV footage of the area for leads, the official added.

New Delhi, Oct 18: The Union law ministry has come out with a set of rules to set up a framework to handle violations related to court fees and stamp rules in the Union territories.

The Union Territories Court Fees (Adjudication of Penalties and Appeal) Rules, 2026, issued on Saturday operationalise sections 34A and 34B of the Court Fees Act, 1870, which were recently added following amendments under the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026.

Instead of changing the court-fee system, the rules focus on administrative enforcement, accountability and time-bound conflict resolution.

The amended Jan Vishwas law tweaked the Court Fees Act to replace criminal punishment with financial penalties for minor, non-fraudulent violations of stamp-sale rules.

Under the newly-notified rules, revenue officers, licensed stamp vendors and members of the public can report violations to the designated adjudicating officers empowered to investigate and levy penalties under the Court Fees Act.

The rules prescribe uniform forms for filing complaints, issuing show-cause notices and lodging appeals, bringing consistency to the adjudication process.

Alleged violators must be given a show-cause notice and a reasonable opportunity to present their case. When determining penalties, officers will consider factors such as public hardship, repeated offences and unfair financial gains.

Stringent timeframes have been laid down for notice issuance, adjudication completion and appeal disposal to prevent delays.

Those aggrieved by the adjudication can challenge the penalty orders before Stringent timeframes have been laid down for notice issuance, adjudication completion and appeal disposal to prevent delays.a designated appellate authority.

A usual or a typical violation under the Court Fees Act involves failing to properly pay, compute or handle mandatory court-fee stamps or document valuations.