Day 35
Health & SocialSkim2025-02-01
Customs Duty Exemption for 36 Life-Saving Drugs
What Happened
In the Union Budget 2025-26, the Indian government announced a full basic customs duty exemption for 36 life-saving drugs used for cancer and rare diseases. Additionally, import duties on six other essential medicines were slashed to a concessional rate of 5 percent.
Why It Matters
This move strengthens the National Policy for Rare Diseases by significantly lowering out-of-pocket healthcare costs and improving the affordability of critical specialized treatments in India.
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