Beyond the Metros

Stories from India’s towns, villages, and rural communities — the lives, challenges, and changes that rarely make the front page.

Rural India  ·  Healthcare

Small villages, big change: New rules on where you can buy cough syrup

An amendment to India’s Drugs Rules, 1945, removes cough syrups from a long-standing exemption that allowed small villages to sell medicines through unlicensed shops. For millions of rural residents, it means a longer walk to get a common household remedy.

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17 June 2026