NDPS (Amendment) Bill, 2021

On December 13, 2021, Lok Sabha passed the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Amendment) Bill, 2021. It was a unusual amendment on just a sentence which alters numbering of the provisions.

About the 2021 Amendment

• 2021 Bill amends the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985.
• It seeks to rectify a drafting anomaly, which was created by a 2014 amendment to the parent legislation.
• Amendment comprises of a legislative declaration about what one section refers to. According to it, Section 2 clause (viiia) corresponds to clause (viiib) in Section 27, since 2014.

What is section 27?

Section 27A of the NDPS Act 1985, contains punishment provisions for financing illicit traffic and harbouring offenders.

About 2014 amendment

• 2014 amendment to the NDPS Act 1985 allow a better medical access to narcotic drugs.
• It defined “essential drugs” under Section 2(viii)a while under Section 9, it allowed the manufacture, transport, possession, sale, purchase, consumption, import inter-State, export inter-State, and use of essential narcotic drugs.