The Hindu : Front Page : Parliament approves Patents Bill

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Thursday, Mar 24, 2005

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Parliament approves Patents Bill

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, MARCH 23. Parliament today approved the Third Patents (Amendment) Bill 2005 with the Rajya Sabha passing it by voice vote after the National Democratic Alliance led by the Leader of the Opposition, Jaswant Singh, walked out in protest.

The Commerce Minister, Kamal Nath, agreed to refer two amendments proposed by the Left parties to an experts' committee.

The Lok Sabha passed the Bill on Tuesday after the Government incorporated several amendments suggested by the Left parties.

Replying to the discussion, Mr. Kamal Nath said the new legislation would not lead to an increase in the prices of essential drugs as these were not covered by the patents regime. He refuted the Opposition charge that the World Trade Organisation-mooted law was thrust on India. Rather, India acceded to the changes taking into consideration the national interest.

"Ill-conceived demand"

The Minister pointed out that the Opposition demand for a review and consensus was "ill-conceived" because it was the NDA Government that had brought the Bill to the Rajya Sabha in 2003. That Government got the first and second amendments approved by the House and the United Progressive Alliance Government was only culminating the process.

The NDA wanted the Bill to be referred to a parliamentary committee with the former Union Minister, Yashwant Sinha, saying that "it was very unfortunate to send a signal that the polity was divided on the Patents Bill."

Jairam Ramesh (Congress) said the Bharatiya Janata Party was ill-placed to suggest a national consensus when it had played "partisan politics" by indicating to the States ruled by it not to implement the value added tax.

He refuted Mr. Sinha's suggestion that the Government had not taken any initiative for 10 months by pointing out that the WTO had in 1995 given India a decade's time to come up with legislation that was in accordance with the global consensus.

Nilotpal Basu (Communist Party of India-Marxist) refuted the suggestion that the Left parties had "surrendered" to the Government line on the Bill. He said the Left parties had agreed to the Bill only after the Government had factored in their amendments.

Shahid Siddiqui (Samajwadi Party), N. Jyothi (All-India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and Vanga Geetha (Telugu Desam Party) said the prices of essential drugs might go up as a result of the Bill. Fali Nariman (nominated) supported the Bill but wanted a through debate on its provisions.

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