In India, 'extended producer responsibility' was introduced as an important feature in which of the following?
Answer & explanation
Answer: (c) The e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011
India's e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 introduced extended producer responsibility (EPR), which makes the producer of electrical and electronic equipment answerable for the product until its safe disposal after use. The rules were notified in May 2011 and came into force on 1 May 2012.
- ✓ (c) The official guidelines on these rules say they place the main responsibility for e-waste on producers of electrical and electronic equipment by introducing the concept of extended producer responsibility.
- ✗ (a) The 1998 bio-medical waste rules pre-date the e-waste rules and are not the ones credited with bringing in EPR.
- ✗ (b) The 1999 recycled plastics rules likewise pre-date the 2011 e-waste rules, which are the ones that introduced EPR in India.
- ✗ (d) The Food Safety and Standards Regulations, 2011 deal with food safety, not with waste, so producer responsibility for end-of-life products is not their feature.
Remember · EPR = the producer stays responsible for a product until its safe disposal. In India it came with the e-Waste Rules, 2011 (in force 1 May 2012).
Sources
- CPCB Guidelines for Environmentally Sound Management of E-waste (hosted by Punjab Pollution Control Board), section 3.0 ↗ “As the E-waste Rules place main responsibility of e-waste management on the producers of the electrical and electronic equipment by introducing the concept of “extended producer responsibility”(EPR). … Extended Producer Responsibility is a responsibility of any producer of electrical or electronic equipment, for their products beyond manufacturing until environmentally sound management of their end of life products.”
Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2019, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). ·