[34 Civil society groups and individuals] ... we are concerned with demands of the United States to do away with the price controls on medical devices as part of the ongoing negotiations on US India trade deal. We are also apprehensive of the US pressure on India, which has been exerted continuously and will surely intensify following the deal, for increased intellectual property (IP) protections through amendments to the IP Acts. In this regard, we note that the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), Ministry of Commerce and Industry, recently held a meeting with stakeholders to review India’s existing IP Acts. During the meeting participants from law firms representing their foreign multinational pharmaceutical companies have insisted on removing public interest safeguards in the Patents Act such as provisions restricting the scope of patentability, local working as a ground for granting of a compulsory license, pre-grant oppositions etc.