Previous Year Question

The Eco Mark Scheme was introduced by the Government of India in 1991 to identify and promote Environment-Friendly Products. The Ministry of Environment and Forests issued the resolution establishing this scheme on 20 February 1991. Its primary objective was to encourage consumer products that cause relatively less environmental harm during manufacturing, use, and disposal. It was a Voluntary Eco-Labelling Scheme under which products meeting prescribed standards were awarded the Eco Mark certification.

The symbol of the Eco Mark Scheme was an Earthen Pot, representing the prudent use of natural resources, renewable materials, and environmental conservation. Certification under the scheme was carried out by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), while the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) played an important role in developing environmental criteria. Products were evaluated through a Product Life Cycle approach, considering raw material consumption, manufacturing processes, energy use, pollution, Recycling, and final disposal.

Under the scheme, environmental criteria were notified for consumer product categories such as Soaps and Detergents, Paper, Plastic Products, Cosmetics, and Aerosols and Propellants. Other categories included Textiles, Batteries, Food Products, Packaging Materials, Paints, Electrical and Electronic Equipment, and additional selected products. According to the Government, environmental criteria for 16 product categories were notified between 1992 and 2000. These criteria were intended to encourage pollution reduction, resource conservation, and environmentally preferable manufacturing practices.

Drugs and Antibiotics were not included among the notified Eco Mark product categories relevant to the 2013. The quality, safety, and efficacy of medicines were primarily regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940, and its associated rules. Pharmaceutical regulatory requirements are distinct from the environmental certification criteria of the Eco Mark Scheme. In the context of 2013, the product categories mentioned in the other three options had been notified, whereas Drugs and Antibiotics had not. Subsequently, the Ecomark Rules, 2024, notified on 26 September 2024, replaced the 1991 scheme.