Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules 2011

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    • Recently, the Union government has amended the Legal Metrology (packaged commodities) Rules 2011 for ease of doing business and reducing the compliance burden for the garment or hosiery sold in loose or open.  

    What is Legal Metrology?

    • Legal Metrology treats units of weighment and measurement, methods of weighment and measurement and weighing and measuring instruments, in relation to the mandatory technical and legal requirements which have the object of ensuring public guarantee from the point of view of security and accuracy of the weighments and measurements.

    What is a Pre-packaged commodity?

    • Pre-packaged commodity” means a commodity which without the purchaser being present is placed in a package of whatever nature, whether sealed or not, so that the product contained therein has a predetermined quantity.

    What do you mean by protection in Legal Metrology?

    • Protection means the utilization of reading obtained from any weight or measure, for the purpose of determining any step which is required to be taken to safeguard the well-being of any human being or animal, or to protect any commodity, vegetation or thing, whether individually or collectively.

    What are the Amendments?

    • Exemption:
      • The amendment exempts the garment or hosiery industry selling in loose or open from 6 declarations required under the legal metrology (packaged commodities) rules, 2011.
    • Under the revised rules, garment or hosiery firms are exempted from declaring the following:
      • Common/ generic name of the commodity
      • Net qty. in std. unit of W or M or no. of commodity in the package
      • Unit sale price
      • Month and year of manufacture or pre-packing or import
      • Best before or use by date, month and year  in case of commodity becoming unfit for human consumption with time
      • Consumer Care name & address. 
    • Now only the following information relevant to consumers is to be given:
      • Name and address of the manufacturer/ marketer/ brand owner/ importer with country of origin or manufacture in case of imported products,
      • Consumer care email id and phone number,
      • Sizes with internationally recognizable size indicators such as S, M, L, XL, XXL and XXXL along with details in metric notation in terms of cm or m and
      • Maximum retail price (MRP).

    Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011

    • Nodal Agency
      • The Department of Consumer Affairs is the nodal agency for the implementation of the Act. 
    • Main Objectives 
      • The objective of Legal Metrology is to ensure public guarantee from the point of view of security and accuracy of the weighments and measurements.
      • It regulates pre-packaged commodities in India and inter – alia mandate certain labeling requirements prior to sale of such commodities.
    • Constitutional provisions related with Weights and Measures are:
      • Establishment of Standards of Weights and Measures: Under UNION LIST – Entry 50: To frame the Act and Rules, Specification of Standards and International Relations, Training in Legal Metrology etc.
      • Weights and Measures except establishment of Standards – under CONCURRENT LIST – Entry 33 A: Enforcement of Legal Metrology.

    Way Forward

    • It is aimed for ease of doing business by reducing compliance burden to industries without compromising the interest of consumers by declaring the information relevant to consumers. 

    Source: PIB

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