The National Medical Commission (NMC) has suspended the newly proposed regulations that required doctors to prescribe generic drugs or face penalties. The Indian Medical Association (IMA) had urged the government to withdraw the regulations until the quality of all drugs could be assured. The NMC has now put the regulations on hold and stated that they will not be effective until further notification. The IMA also requested exemptions for professional associations and criticized the prohibition on third-party educational activities sponsored by pharmaceutical companies.