NEW DELHI, Nov. 10 -- The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers will hold two meetings on November 18 to examine the safe handling of hazardous chemicals in industrial establishments and measures to strengthen India's self-reliance in medical device manufacturing.
According to the meeting schedule, the committee will hold its first sitting at 11 am in the Parliament complex to discuss the safe handling of hazardous chemicals in industrial establishments and the prevention of associated pollution.
Representatives of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers and the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals will brief the committee on the subject. The session is scheduled to continue until the lunch break.
The second meeting will begin at 3 pm and focus on strengthening domestic manufacturing capabilities in the medical devices industry. Officials from the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers and the Department of Pharmaceuticals will make presentations before the committee.
A circular issued by the committee secretariat last week informed members about the two meetings and requested their participation. It stated that soft copies of the agenda papers would be made available through the members' portal or Sansad Mail in due course.
The first meeting is expected to provide an opportunity for parliamentary scrutiny of the safety practices followed by industrial establishments handling hazardous chemicals and the measures adopted to prevent environmental pollution.
The subject assumes importance given the potential risks associated with the storage, transportation, processing and disposal of hazardous substances in chemical and industrial facilities.
The committee's examination will focus on the responsibilities of the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, which oversees policies concerning the chemical and petrochemical industries.
The second meeting will examine India's efforts to strengthen domestic production of medical devices, a sector that plays an important role in healthcare delivery and the availability of diagnostic and treatment equipment.
The discussions will take place against the backdrop of the government's emphasis on reducing import dependence and expanding indigenous manufacturing capabilities in strategically important industries.
The Department of Pharmaceuticals, which functions under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, is responsible for policies concerning pharmaceuticals and medical devices.
The committee has previously examined issues related to the promotion and manufacturing of medical devices. On June 29, it received a briefing from the Department of Pharmaceuticals on challenges concerning the production and development of medical devices in India.
The November 18 meeting will specifically address self-reliance in the sector, which has been identified as one of the subjects for examination during the committee's 2026-27 tenure.
The Standing Committee on Chemicals and Fertilisers is one of Parliament's 24 departmentally related standing committees and is serviced by the Lok Sabha Secretariat.
It comprises 31 members, including 21 from the Lok Sabha and 10 from the Rajya Sabha. Members of the Lower House are nominated by the Lok Sabha Speaker, while Rajya Sabha members are nominated by the Chairman of the Upper House.
The committee is constituted for a one-year term and exercises parliamentary oversight over three departments under the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers - the Department of Fertilisers, the Department of Chemicals and Petrochemicals, and the Department of Pharmaceuticals.
Lok Sabha MP Kakoli Ghosh Dastidar was appointed chairperson of the committee on September 26.
Its responsibilities include examining Demands for Grants relating to the departments under its jurisdiction, scrutinising bills referred to it by the presiding officers of Parliament and reviewing the ministry's annual reports.
The committee also examines long-term policy documents referred to it and submits reports containing observations and recommendations to Parliament.
The two scheduled meetings form part of its examination of subjects selected for the 2026-27 parliamentary committee cycle.
The committee's discussions on November 18 will allow members to seek information from the departments concerned on industrial chemical safety and the government's approach to strengthening domestic medical device manufacturing.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.