What happened
Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC), Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India participated in the 10th Anniversary Meeting of the South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN) in Kathmandu, Nepal on 4–5 August 2026. Representatives of National Regulatory Authorities (NRAs), pharmacopoeias, and international organisations from across the South-East Asia Region attended the meeting.
During the meeting, WHO-SEARN recognised IPC as:
— WHO-SEARN Regional Centre of Excellence in Pharmacovigilance (pharmacovigilance means detecting, assessing, and monitoring adverse effects of medicines), and — WHO-SEARN Technical Centre in Quality (quality means standards that ensure medicines meet required purity, strength, and safety parameters).
Background and earlier position
South-East Asia Regulatory Network (SEARN) is a collaborative platform established by the World Health Organization (WHO) South-East Asia Regional Office (SEARO) to strengthen regulatory systems across WHO Member States in the South-East Asia Region.