Import of drugs in India: Center adds two more ports, Releases Gazette Notification

New Delhi: An upsurge in the import of drugs is likely to be seen as the government has recently informed about the addition of two new ports for this purpose namely, Kamrajar Port and Mundra Port. The ports would enable import of drugs by sea into India.

To this effect the Ministry of health and Family Welfare took out a gazetted notification announcing the amendments to the relevant sections in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945

These amendments are called Drugs and Cosmetics (Second Amendment) Rules, 2019 which will come into force on the date of their publication in the Official Gazette that is 10th January, 2019. Amendments in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 have been made wherein the addition of words in Rule 43A has been made, effective from January 10, 2019.

Rule 43A states that no drug shall be imported into India except through one of the following places, namely:

• Ferozepore Cantonment and Amritsar Railway Stations: In respect of drugs imported by rail across the frontier with Pakistan.


• Ranaghat, Bongaon and Mohiassan Railways Stations: In respect of drugs imported by rail across the frontier with Bangladesh.


• Petrapole Road in West Bengal, Sutarkandi in Assam, Old Raghna Bazar and Agartala in Tripura: In respect of drugs imported by Road from Bangladesh.


• Raxaul: In respect of drugs imported by road and railway lines connecting Raxaul in India and Birganj in Nepal


• Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Cochin, Nhava Sheva, Kandla and Inland Container Depots at Tuglakabad and Patparganj in Delhi and Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu and Marmugao port in Goa and Visakhapatnam in Andhra Pradesh: In respect of drugs imported by sea into India.


• Chennai, Kolkata, Mumbai, Delhi, Ahmedabad, Hyderabad, Goa, Bengaluru and Visakhapatnam: In respect of drugs imported by air into India.

The central government after consultation with the Drugs Technical Advisory Board has substituted the word "Tuticorin" with "Tuticorin and Kamrajar Port" in the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945, in rule 43A; and for the word "Gandhinagar", the words "Gandhinagar and Mundra Port" is substituted.

In this regard, the Government had earlier issued another notifications inviting objections and suggestions from persons likely to be affected. Copies of the Official Gazette were made available to the public on the 23rd of October, 2018. However, no objections or suggestions were received from the public on the said rules for consideration by the Central Government.

Also Read: Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945 being amended: AYUSH Minster