New Delhi, Oct. 9 -- The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Union government to constitute an expert committee within two weeks to examine and recommend an appropriate statutory and regulatory framework to curb unethical pharmaceutical marketing practices, giving the long-pending exercise a timebound push under judicial supervision. The committee has been tasked with examining whether existing framework is adequate, whether current monitoring and enforcement mechanisms are effective, and what measures are needed to ensure greater transparency and accountability in the pharmaceutical sector. It will have to complete the exercise within two months of its first meeting and submit its recommendations to the Centre. The intervention assumes significance as the court found that the existing framework "has not proved entirely effective" in preventing and curbing unethical practices in a sector that has a direct bearing on public health. A bench of justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta, however, made it clear that it would not formulate the policy itself, saying its role was to facilitate a meaningful and effective consultative process while leaving the choice of the appropriate statutory framework to the Union government. The court invoked its powers under Articles 32 and 142 of the Constitution, read with the constitutional mandate to protect the right to health under Article 21, and directed the Centre to file a compliance affidavit setting out the steps taken, including the constitution of the committee, its deliberations, recommendations and the decision taken by the government. The matter has been fixed for January 29, 2027. The court directed the committee to consult the petitioners, intervenors and other stakeholders, and make recommendations on the appropriate regulatory and statutory framework for effectively regulating pharmaceutical marketing practices....