Prelims · Polity & governance · 27 questions

Constitutional, statutory & regulatory bodies

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Prelims 2016 · Q34

Medium

With reference to pre-packaged items in India, it is mandatory to the manufacturer to put which of the following information on the main label, as per the Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011?

1.List of ingredients including additives
2.Nutrition information
3.Recommendations, if any, made by the medical profession about the possibility of any allergic reactions
4.Vegetarian/non-vegetarian

Select the correct answer using the code given below.

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 1, 2 and 4

Regulation 2.2.2 of the 2011 FSSAI rules listed what every pre-packaged food label must carry: the name of the food, a list of ingredients (with additives), nutritional information, the veg/non-veg symbol, food-additive declarations, the maker's name and address, net quantity, batch number, dates and so on. A general statement of medical advice on possible allergic reactions was not among these mandatory items.

✓ 1. Except for single-ingredient foods, ingredients had to be listed on the label under a heading such as 'Ingredients', in descending order of weight or volume, with additives declared.
✓ 2. Nutritional information per 100 g, 100 ml or per serving (energy in kcal, protein, carbohydrate with sugar, fat) was required, with exemptions for items such as raw agricultural commodities.
✗ 3. The 2011 regulations had no general requirement to print medical recommendations about allergic reactions; allergy-related wording appeared only in special cases such as hypoallergenic infant formula.
✓ 4. Every package had to carry the green (vegetarian) or brown (non-vegetarian) symbol in the prescribed square-and-circle form.
• Since then The 2011 rules have since been replaced by the Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020, which now require a separate 'Contains...' declaration of common food allergens (FSSAI compendium).

Remember · FSSAI labelling (2011): name, ingredients with additives, nutrition facts, veg/non-veg symbol, maker, net quantity, batch, dates. Mandatory allergen declaration arrived only with the 2020 Labelling and Display Regulations.

Sources

Food Safety and Standards (Packaging and Labelling) Regulations, 2011, reg. 2.2.2 (FSSAI PDF, archived copy) ↗ “List of Ingredients: Except for single ingredient foods, a list of ingredients shall be declared on the label in the following manner … Nutritional Information or nutritional facts per 100 gm or 100ml or per serving of the product shall be given on the label … Every package of “Non Vegetarian” food shall bear a declaration to this effect made by a symbol and colour code as stipulated below”
FSSAI: Compendium, Food Safety and Standards (Labelling and Display) Regulations, 2020 ↗ “Declaration regarding Food allergen: The following foods and ingredients which are known to cause allergy shall be declared separately as Contains”

Question and answer: UPSC's official GS Paper I (2016, Series A) — paper ↗ · answer key ↗. Explanation: Minimalist IAS, checked 30 Sept 2026 (how we verify). Permalink ·

Prelims 2016 · Q56

Medium

With reference to 'Financial Stability and Development Council', consider the following statements:

1.It is an organ of NITI Aayog.
2.It is headed by the Union Finance Minister.
3.It monitors macroprudential supervision of the economy.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

Answer & explanation

Answer: (c) 2 and 3 only

The Financial Stability and Development Council (FSDC) is an apex body of the Government of India, chaired by the Union Finance Minister, that monitors macro-prudential supervision of the economy. It belongs to the Finance Ministry's set-up, not to NITI Aayog, so statements 2 and 3 are correct.

✗ 1. The Government set up the FSDC by a notification of 30 December 2010, from the Union Budget 2010-11 announcement; the Department of Economic Affairs in the Finance Ministry services it. It is not an organ of NITI Aayog.
✓ 2. The Chairman of the FSDC is the Finance Minister of India; its members are the heads of the financial regulators and senior Finance Ministry officials.
✓ 3. Without prejudice to the autonomy of regulators, the Council monitors macro-prudential supervision of the economy, including the functioning of large financial conglomerates.

Remember · FSDC (30 Dec 2010): non-statutory apex council chaired by the Union Finance Minister; watches financial stability, macro-prudential supervision and inter-regulatory coordination.