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Food-safety regulation: Maharashtra's plea puts the Centre–State divide in focus
ஏன் செய்தியில்?
Who frames food standards and who raids the shop? The FSS Act 2006 split Prelims tests
Maharashtra's plea highlights the Centre–State split in food-safety regulation.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2018; factual, Prelims-type
What you need to know
2 நிமிடம்
A plea by Maharashtra has drawn attention to how food safety is regulated in India and where the Centre and the States divide the work.
The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 consolidated earlier food laws and created the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, which frames standards, while State food-safety officers handle licensing and enforcement.
ஆதாரங்கள்: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
முக்கிய உண்மைகள்
Remember these
- The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 consolidated earlier food laws into a single framework.
- It created the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), a statutory body that frames food standards.
- The Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 was among the older laws the 2006 Act replaced.
- State food-safety officers handle licensing and enforcement on the ground.
- Food safety and adulteration fall in the Concurrent List, which is why Centre and States share the work.
ப்ரிலிம்ஸ் · மெயின்ஸ்
How the exam will ask it
ப்ரிலிம்ஸ்
- The FSSAI is a statutory body established under the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006, not under the Consumer Protection Act, 2019.
- The FSS Act, 2006 consolidated several earlier food-related laws, including the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
- The FSSAI frames food standards, while licensing and enforcement are largely carried out by State food-safety officers.
மெயின்ஸ்
GS2 (Federalism) and GS3 (Food safety): the issue is overlapping Centre and State roles in food regulation. The FSS Act, 2006 gives the Centre standard-setting through the FSSAI and leaves licensing and enforcement to State officers, so uneven State capacity can weaken outcomes and invite disputes. The way forward lies in cooperative federalism: clear role demarcation, better State laboratories and staffing, and a consultative standard-setting process.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Consider the following statements
- The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced the Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954.
- The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) is under the charge of Director General of Health Services in the Union Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
விடையைக் காட்டு
விடை: A
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
The Food Safety and Standards Authority of India is a statutory body established under which law?
- Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954
- Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006
- Consumer Protection Act, 2019
- Legal Metrology Act, 2009
விடையைக் காட்டு
விடை: B — Correct: Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 — The Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 created the Authority and the single framework for food standards. • Prevention of Food Adulteration Act, 1954 — wrong: The 1954 Act was one of the older food laws that the 2006 Act consolidated and replaced. • Consumer Protection Act, 2019 — wrong: The Consumer Protection Act, 2019 deals with consumer rights and the CCPA, not food standards. • Legal Metrology Act, 2009 — wrong: The Legal Metrology Act, 2009 regulates weights, measures and packaged-commodity declarations.
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