
In India, ‘extended producer responsibility’ was introduced as an important feature in which of the following?
- The Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998
- The Recycled Plastic (Manufacturing and Usage) Rules, 1999
- The e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
- The Food Safety and Standard Regulations, 2011
Explanation
Option (c) is correct
- In India, Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) was introduced as a key feature in the e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011. In its simplest form, EPR is a policy that requires producers to take responsibility for their products throughout their entire lifecycle. This scenario means that producers are responsible for collecting and recycling the products they produce at the end of their life cycle.
- The primary goal of EPR is to reduce waste by ensuring that all products are appropriately disposed of or recycled rather than thrown away.
Option (a) is incorrect
- Bio-Medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2016 (an improvement to 1998 rules) regulate the management and handling of bio-medical waste in India. They aim to ensure proper disposal of waste generated from hospitals, clinics, and other healthcare institutions.
Option (b) is incorrect
- The Central Government had notified the “Recycled Plastics Manufacture and Usage Rules, 1999 (as amended in 2003)” under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate the manufacture, sale and use and recycling of plastic bags. The Ministry of Environment and Forests then notified the new Plastic Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 (latest amendment to this notified as Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules, 2024), superseding the earlier Rules.
Option (d) is incorrect
- The Food Safety and Standards Regulation, 2011 is a notification issued by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare. These regulations contain labelling requirements and standards for packaged food, permitted food additives, colours, microbiological requirements, etc.


