National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority
In one line: The NPPA is India's drug price regulator, set up on 29 August 1997, that fixes ceiling prices and acts against overcharging.
Structure and functions
It is an attached office of the Department of Pharmaceuticals in the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers. Its job is to implement and enforce the Drugs (Prices Control) Order, 2013, fix ceiling prices of scheduled formulations, fix retail prices of 'new drugs', monitor availability and act against companies that overcharge. It acts on references from State price monitoring units, drug controllers and consumer complaints.
Why in news
On 27 October 2026 Justice Sandeep Mehta told the Centre that the NPPA 'seems to be defunct with due respect', given the price gaps cited in court. Critics want it to watch hospital pharmacies, where many mark-ups arise.
Where to go next
- National List of Essential Medicines
- Right to health under Article 21
National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority in the news
- Supreme Court reserves order on why most medicines stay outside price control 28 October 2026
The regulator the bench called 'defunct'.
- Centre to cap trade margins on 110 non-scheduled cancer drugs at 30% 9 October 2026
The regulator that fixes and enforces drug prices.
- Editorial: Supreme Court flags ten-fold drug markups, exposing gaps in price control 1 October 2026
The regulator that enforces the caps.
Previous-year questions on this
- 2024 · GS2 · 15 marks In a crucial domain like the public healthcare system the Indian State should play a vital role to contain the adverse impact of marketisation of the system. Suggest some measures through which the…
- 2015 · GS2 · 12.5 marks Public health system has limitation in providing universal health coverage. Do you think that private sector can help in bridging the gap? What other viable alternatives do you suggest?
- 2023 · Prelims Consider the following statements: Statement-I: India's public sector health care system largely focuses on curative care with limited preventive, promotive and rehabilitative care. Statement-II…