SHRESTH – State Health Regulatory Excellence Index
Kartavya Desk Staff
Source: News on Air
Context: The Union Health Ministry launched SHRESTH – State Health Regulatory Excellence Index, the first national framework to benchmark and strengthen state drug regulatory systems through transparent, data-driven evaluation.
About SHRESTH – State Health Regulatory Excellence Index:
• What it is? A virtual gap assessment tool to evaluate, rank, and improve state drug regulatory authorities, ensuring medicine safety, quality, and efficacy.
• A virtual gap assessment tool to evaluate, rank, and improve state drug regulatory authorities, ensuring medicine safety, quality, and efficacy.
• Ministry: Union Ministry of Health & Family Welfare (Implemented by CDSCO – Central Drugs Standard Control Organization)
• Objective:
• Benchmark state/UT drug regulatory systems. Drive targeted improvements in human resources, infrastructure, and digitisation. Strengthen public trust in medicines manufactured and distributed in India.
• Benchmark state/UT drug regulatory systems.
• Drive targeted improvements in human resources, infrastructure, and digitisation.
• Strengthen public trust in medicines manufactured and distributed in India.
• Criteria for Evaluation:
• Manufacturing States: 27 indicators under 5 themes – Human Resources, Infrastructure, Licensing, Surveillance, Responsiveness. Distribution States/UTs: 23 indicators under the same thematic areas. Monthly data submission to CDSCO; monthly scoring and feedback loop.
• Manufacturing States: 27 indicators under 5 themes – Human Resources, Infrastructure, Licensing, Surveillance, Responsiveness.
• Distribution States/UTs: 23 indicators under the same thematic areas.
• Monthly data submission to CDSCO; monthly scoring and feedback loop.
• Key Features:
• Two-tier categorisation – Manufacturing States and Distribution States/UTs. Data-driven ranking with monthly updates for continuous improvement. WHO-aligned standards to move medicines to global benchmark status (ML3-equivalent). Cross-learning platform – sharing success stories from top performers. Regulatory harmonisation – uniform implementation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act across states.
• Two-tier categorisation – Manufacturing States and Distribution States/UTs.
• Data-driven ranking with monthly updates for continuous improvement.
• WHO-aligned standards to move medicines to global benchmark status (ML3-equivalent).
• Cross-learning platform – sharing success stories from top performers.
• Regulatory harmonisation – uniform implementation of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act across states.