Quick Summary: Reckitt Benckiser (India) Limited argued against a rule requiring toiletries to have colored dots to show if they contain vegetarian or non-vegetarian ingredients. The Delhi High Court decided this rule shouldn't be forced on companies.
Reckitt Benckiser, the company behind products like Dettol and Harpic, filed a complaint on March 2, 2015. They were against a rule from the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, which was announced on June 16, 2014. This rule required items like soaps and shampoos to have a red or brown dot if they contained non-vegetarian ingredients and a green dot if they were vegetarian.
On March 2, 2015, the court temporarily stopped any action against Reckitt Benckiser for not using these dots. The court mentioned that a similar case was being discussed in the Bombay High Court.
"The Union of India shall not take any coercive action against Reckitt Benckiser until further orders."
Reckitt Benckiser's lawyer, Mr. Jawaharlal, claimed that the person in charge of Legal Metrology didn't have the power to enforce this rule. They believed the decision should be made by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
The Drug Technical Advisory Board (DTAB) had meetings on May 16, 2018, and April 13, 2021. They decided that the labeling should be optional. They thought making it mandatory would make the rules more complicated.
"The Board did not agree for mandating the indication of green or red/brown dot... it may complicate the regulation."
The court noticed a disagreement between the Legal Metrology rules and DTAB's advice. They suggested that the DCGI and the Director of Legal Metrology should work together and discuss with others involved.
"There is a need for both Departments to come together and take a decision... whether incorporation of such a dot ought to be mandatory."
The court ordered a joint meeting between the DCGI and Legal Metrology. They have two months to discuss and submit a joint report. The next hearing is set for April 27, 2026.
Summary of the Verdict: The court ruled that the rule requiring vegetarian or non-vegetarian dots on toiletries should not be mandatory. They suggested further discussions to decide on the matter.
