desk
Share
The Supreme Court on Tuesday decided to consider petitions challenging the Rs 50 lakh cap on central assistance for treatment of patients suffering from rare diseases like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).
The bench said this
A bench of Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justice Sanjay Kumar said that these petitions will be heard by a bench headed by Justice PS Narasimha in the week starting May 13.
The bench said that F Hoffman-La Roche Ltd, the company that makes Risdiplam, a drug for SMA, has agreed to provide the drug free of cost to 24-year-old Ciba PA from Kerala, who is suffering from this disease, for one year. One bottle of the drug costs Rs 6.2 lakh. On February 24, the apex court had stayed the High Court order on the Centre's appeal.
The Centre had said that it cannot be forced to exceed the limit of Rs 50 lakh. The Supreme Court had also taken note of the argument that the cost of treatment of an SMA patient can be up to Rs 26 crore and the price of Risdiplam in Pakistan and China is much lower.
Change people's thinking on women's safety: Supreme Court
The Supreme Court says that to reduce the threat of sexual violence and rape against women, people's mindset will have to be changed because this threat is everywhere in cities and rural areas. For this, the Supreme Court has asked the Central Government to take appropriate measures to reform those who have been left out of the education system along with changes in education.
The hearing has been adjourned till May 6
The Supreme Court has adjourned the hearing till May 6, giving three weeks' time to the Central Government to file a detailed affidavit in this regard.
Expressing concern about the safety of women in the country, the division bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Satish Chandra Sharma said that leave women alone. They do not need helicopters around them. They do not need surveillance and restrictions. Let them flourish, this is what the women of this country want.
Women face problems while defecating in the open
The division bench said that they have seen such cases in real life that women have to face difficulties while defecating in the open. Even now there is no facility of toilets in the villages. During the hearing of the PIL filed by advocate Adab Harshad Ponda, the issue of education and public awareness in this direction has been raised.
Various crimes including rape are increasing in the country
The petition said that various crimes against women including rape are increasing. On this, the Central Government told the Supreme Court that there is a provision of moral education in the education curriculum in the National Education Policy. The petition has asked the Center to give guidelines to the local administration through advertisements, seminars, pamphlets. Advice has also been given to reform those who have gone out of the scope of education.
--Advertisement--
