Important Facts For Prelims
Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011
- 19 Jul 2022
- 3 min read
Why in News?
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has amended the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011 for ease of doing business and reducing the compliance burden for the electronic industries.
- Earlier, Rule 5 of the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), Rules 2011 was omitted to safeguard interest of consumers.
- Rule 5 defines the Schedule II prescribing the pack sizes of various types of commodities.
What are the Amendments?
- Allows the electronic products to declare certain mandatory declarations through the QR (Quick Response) Code for a period of one year, if not declared in the package itself.
- The option is given for one year because the government is trying to use the technology for the first time on a pilot basis and will decide to extend it based on the feedback.
- But the industry, however, will have to declare on the package itself the mandatory details like maximum retail price (MRP), phone number and e-mail address.
- The additional mandatory declarations such as the address of the manufacturer, the common name of the commodity, the size and dimension of the commodity and customer care are allowed through QR code.
- Earlier, all the prepackaged commodities including the electronic products are required to declare all the mandatory declarations as per the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities), Rules 2011 on the package.
What are Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011?
- It regulates pre-packaged commodities in India and inter – alia mandate certain labelling requirements prior to sale of such commodities.
- The main aim of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 is to establish and enforce standards of weights and measures, regulate trade and commerce in weights, measures and other goods which are sold or distributed by weight, measure or number and any other matter that is connected to the same.
- According to the Act, the Central Govt. may appoint a Director of Legal Metrology to perform duties related to inter-state trade and commerce.
- The State Govt. may appoint a Controller of Legal Metrology to perform duties related to intra-state trade and commerce.
