Patents

THE New England Journal of Medicine, in a recent article, reported that in the last 40 years 153 FDA-approved drugs and vaccines were developed on the basis of research carried out in public-sector research institutes (Cover Story, May 4). More than half these drugs are, the report said, used in the treatment or prevention of cancer.

Often the pharmaceutical industry cites high cost of research and development to argue against cheap drugs. It is widely claimed that drug-related research entails high costs and high risks. Marcia Angell, former editor of NEJM, describes this as a kind of blackmail.

Innovation has not suffered. If anything, it has flourished under public sector and university research initiatives. Pharmaceutical companies have a vested interest in maximising R&D figures to justify high prices, extended patents, and so on.

The decision of the patent authorities to make expensive treatments affordable particularly to those in the developing countries is a step in the right direction. Usually, what masquerades as a patent dispute is in actuality a dispute motivated by business strategy to perpetuate monopoly and stifle competition.

I WISH to point out a serious error in the article by Dr Amit Sengupta. On page 8, the article states that Novartis' panel of expensive lawyers is led by Gopal Subramanium, who was the Solicitor General of India (and hence technically responsible for leading the government's defence) when Novartis first approached the Supreme Court.

I must point out that the said reference, and its implication, is completely erroneous and misleading. During my tenure as the Solicitor General of India, I was not involved in the matter regarding the patent application of Gleevec at any stage or in any capacity. I never had the occasion or the opportunity to advise the Government of India in the matter. I was thus in no way responsible for leading the government's defence. Further, I accepted the brief on behalf of Novartis only in September 2011, much after demitting office as the Solicitor General of India.

I must add that since demitting office as the Solicitor General of India, I have taken due caution and care to ensure that I do not accept any brief wherein I had previously advised or appeared for the Government of India. This is consistent with the professional standards and ethics I have maintained during my entire career as a lawyer.

In fact, as a matter of abundant precaution, I had requested the learned counsel appearing for all parties in the matter concerning the patent application of Gleevec to bring to my knowledge, if any, information or material they may have had regarding my association with the matter as Solicitor General, even if such association was remote or incidental. The learned counsel have, as a measure of their regard and respect, assured me that they have no such material in their possession. I had also made a similar offer to all organisations, lest I had overlooked any such material by oversight.

Nuclear summit

IT is a pipe dream that the world will be free of nuclear weapons (Summit fatigue, May 4). If Iran manages to equip itself with nuclear weapons, it will not be foolish enough to use them against Israel or any other nation, as it knows the consequences. The nuclear threat from Iran is hogwash, and the West's real issue is control of that country's oil resources. If a nuclear weapons state threatens a non-nuclear weapons state, how will the latter defend itself this is the core issue that should have been discussed at the Seoul summit.

The least nations that can do is stop building nuclear power plants, as Germany has decided to do. Japan after the Fukushima incident is planning to shut down its nuclear power plants. But why is India keen on building nuclear power plants instead of solar power plants?

BRICS

BRICS is an effective substitute for the Non-Aligned Movement (Coming of age, May 4). BRICS member states control 25 per cent of the global GDP and 18 per cent of international trade. Unfortunately, the collective voting power of the BRICS states in the IMF is only 11 per cent, while the U.S. and the European Union together enjoy more than 50 per cent of the special drawing rights, which is the budget of the IMF. This is unfair.

The BRICS states have contemplated fielding their own candidate in the next election for the WTO Director-General's post. However, the developed states still enjoy control over the global financial institutions. The elimination of the protectionist policies of the developed states is one of the aims of BRICS.

The plan to start a BRICS development bank on the lines of the ADB and the World Bank is good. Boosting trade between member states in their own currencies will challenge the supremacy of the dollar. The Chinese currency was contemplated as a possible substitute for the dollar. At the same time, the fact that the U.S. is a major trading partner of all BRICS states cannot be ignored.

Myanmar

THE struggle for democracy launched by Aung Sang Suu Kyi has succeeded (Sweep of hope, May 4).

The election results are bound to boost the morale of her party cadre and others fighting for an end to military rule. The military, too, appears to be showing commitment towards political reforms. Only 17 months ago, Suu Kyi was under house arrest and her party banned. The world community needs to take a fresh look at the U.N. sanctions imposed on Myanmar, which have made life miserable for people in this poverty-stricken country.

THE National League for Democracy's landslide victory in the parliamentary byelections signals a new dawn in Myanmar. For over a half century, the country has been ruled by military dictators.

Popes and Cuba

IT was an apt and well-thought-out diplomatic effort on the part of Pope Benedict XVI, who while asking the Cuban government to introduce basic freedoms, was critical of the American economic blockade of the island nation (Pope in Cuba, May 4). Not only did he spent time with President Raul Castro and his predecessor Fidel Castro, he also refused to meet political dissidents.

The Cuban administration also reciprocated very well by proclaiming Christmas and Good Friday as national holidays and doing away with atheism from its law book. The late Pope John Paul II deserves a large part of the credit for this pleasing turn of events, for it was he who laid the foundations for the Vatican's relationship with Cuba.

Islam and jehad

NO religion advocates terrorism (Interview with Muhammad Tahir-ul-Qadri, May 4). But it is horrifying to note that extremists interpret the tenets of Islam differently and resort to terrorism in the name of jehad. Islam should send a strong message to terrorists. Such people should be isolated by the community.

Duty on gold

THE fear expressed by Rajiv Jain, Chairman of the Gem and Jewellery Export Promotion Council, that imposing excise duty on unbranded jewellery can lead to the return of inspector raj is without basis (Fearing return of inspector raj, May 4). In the post-liberalisation era, excise inspectors are strictly prohibited from visiting manufacturing units and premises of registered dealers without written permission. So where is the question of inspector raj?

In order to bring more transparency, mentioning the Permanent Account Number should be made mandatory for any transaction over Rs.10,000. This will help eradicate the parallel economy which is ruining the real economy of the country.

Award

SOUMITRA CHATTERJEE carved a niche for himself in Bengali cinema with his distinctive style of acting (An actor, not a star, May 4). The Dada Saheb Phalke Award is a well-deserved honour in recognition of his contribution to cinema in a distinguished career.

CLARIFICATION

With reference to the story titled "Welfare mission" in the "Focus" section on "West Godavari District Formation Day" (May 4), West Godavari District Collector G. Vani Mohan has clarified that three MPs representing the district - Kavuri Sambhasiva Rao (Eluru), Kanumuri Bapi Raju (Narsapur) and Undavalli Arunkumar (Rajahmundry) - jointly contributed an amount of Rs.2.30 crore to fund the various public welfare projects, and this includes Rs.30 lakh for the purchase of ambulances and blood banks. Also, the Milk Mission is an independent scheme supported by the State government.

CORRECTION

In the article "Full steam ahead" (April 20), the year of the Rajiv-Gorbachev Inter-Governmental Agreement to build two Russian VVER-1000 rectors of 1000 MWe each at Kudankulam was given as 1998 instead of 1988. In the article "Battle of Bastar" (May 4), "Jaduguda in Jharkhand" was erroneously referred to as "Jharsuguda in Jharkhand".

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