UPSC | Prelims GS | 2026

The Supreme Court's concern over very high mark-ups on cancer medicines and medical devices most directly relates to which policy objective?

  1. Ensuring universal access and affordability of essential healthcare
  2. Promoting complete deregulation of pharmaceutical prices
  3. Replacing the National Pharmaceutical Pricing Authority with State regulators
  4. Restricting all imports of medical devices

Answer

Correct Answer

Ensuring universal access and affordability of essential healthcare

Explanation

Healthcare affordability

  • Option A is correct: price regulation seeks to prevent excessive margins from excluding patients from essential treatment.
  • Option B is wrong because the issue concerns stronger, not absent, price oversight.
  • Option C is wrong because no replacement of the national pricing authority follows from the report.
  • Option D is wrong because affordability regulation is not an import ban.

Topics: drug-price control and healthcare affordability, health policy, indian economy, pharmaceutical regulation