The Govt. of India have created a separate, dedicated, autonomous institutionin the form of the Indian Pharmacopoeia Commission (IPC) to deal with matters relating to timely publication of the Indian Pharmacopoeia which is the official book of standards for drug included therein, in terms of the Second Schedule to the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 so as to specify the standards of identify, purity and strength of the drugs imported, manufactured for sale, stocked or exhibited for sale or distributed in India.

The mandate of the Commission is to perform, inter-alia, functions such as revision and publication of the Indian Pharmacopoeia and National formulary of India on a regular basis besides providing IP Reference Substances and training to the stakeholders on Pharmacopoeial issues. The Commission has become fully operational from 1^st January, 2009 as an Autonomous Body, fully financed by the Central Government with specific budgetary allocations under administrative control of the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. The Secretary, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, is the Chairperson and the Chairman-Scientific Body is the Co-Chairman of the Commission. The Secretary-cum-Scientific Director is the Chief Scientific and Executive Officer of the Commission.