JUDGMENT :

Prathiba M. Singh, J.

1. This hearing has been done through hybrid mode.

2. The present batch of petitions has been filed by the Petitioners who are mostly children suffering from Rare Diseases. The case of the Petitioners is that the medicines and therapies for the said diseases are exorbitantly expensive, and directions ought to be issued to the Respondents i.e., the Union of India and its Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, All India Institute of Medical Science (hereinafter, "AIIMS"), as well as, the GNCTD, to provide continuous and uninterrupted treatment to the Petitioners, free of cost.

3. These matters have been heard by the Court from time to time and various directions have been issued for enabling treatment and for making available medicines to the Petitioners.

Indigenous Development of Treatment, Therapies & Medicines for Rare Diseases

4. In terms of the Memorandum of Understanding dated 8th January, 2021 signed between M/s Hanugen Therapeutics Private Limited (hereinafter ‘Hanugen’) and the Biotechnology Industry Research Assistance Council (hereinafter ‘BI