Question map
In India, 'extended producer responsibility' was introduced as an important feature in which of the following?
Explanation
The E-waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 recognises the liability of producers for reducing and recycling e-waste in its first e-waste management rules.[1] This marked the introduction of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) as an important feature in Indian environmental legislation. The concept of "extended producer responsibility" (EPR) has become an established principle of environmental policy in many countries since the term was first introduced in the early 1990s.[2]
The other options are incorrect because: Option A relates to bio-medical waste management which had different regulatory focus; Option B refers to "Recycled Plastic" rules from 1999, whereas the actual rules were "Plastics Manufacture, Sale and Usage Rules, 1999" which did not introduce EPR; and Option D concerns food safety regulations which are not primarily focused on waste management or EPR principles. The 2011 e-waste rules were specifically significant for being India's first waste management rules to formally recognize producer liability for collection and recycling.
Sources- [1] https://repository.unescap.org/bitstreams/6e5e960b-c9de-479c-b3ec-6c7ea98b6b7a/download
- [2] https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2016/09/extended-producer-responsibility_g1g6742c/9789264256385-en.pdf
PROVENANCE & STUDY PATTERN
Full viewThis is a textbook 'Sitter' found directly in standard Environment modules (e.g., Shankar IAS). The question tests the 'evolution of policy'—specifically identifying which regulation introduced a modern governance tool (EPR). If a book says 'For the first time...', that sentence is potential Prelims gold.
This question can be broken into the following sub-statements. Tap a statement sentence to jump into its detailed analysis.
- Statement 1: Did the Bio-medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 in India introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) as an important feature?
- Statement 2: Did the Recycled Plastic (Manufacturing and Usage) Rules, 1999 in India introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) as an important feature?
- Statement 3: Did the e-Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2011 in India introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) as an important feature?
- Statement 4: Did the Food Safety and Standard Regulations, 2011 in India introduce extended producer responsibility (EPR) as an important feature?
States explicitly that the e‑waste rules 'for the first time' bring producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
A student could use this wording to infer that EPR was introduced later in sector‑specific rules (e.g., e‑waste), so check whether EPR language appears in earlier 1998 biomedical rules—if 'first time' refers to e‑waste, biomedical 1998 likely did not introduce EPR.
Describes the new EPR regime and specific obligations (registration, targets) under e‑waste rules, showing EPR is a salient, documented innovation in later rules.
Compare these concrete EPR elements (registration, targets) with the text of the 1998 biomedical rules to see if similar obligations were present then.
Explains 'Extended Producer Responsibility: Earlier, EPR was left to the discretion of the local bodies. First time, the producers and brand owners have been made responsible...' in context of (plastic) waste rules.
Use this as a pattern that EPR was explicitly introduced in later plastic/waste rules; therefore check whether the 1998 biomedical rules contain any comparable shift from local discretion to producer responsibility.
Notes what the 1998 Bio‑medical Waste Rules prompted (segregation, collection, treatment and disposal) but does not mention producer obligations.
A student could treat the absence of EPR language here as a clue to test the statement by directly comparing the 1998 rules' provisions to those later rules that explicitly name EPR.
Confirms the year and existence of the Bio‑medical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998 as a distinct environmental law entry.
Use the confirmed date to construct a timeline of when EPR appears in various Indian waste rules (1998 biomedical vs later e‑waste/plastic rules) to assess whether EPR was first introduced in 1998 or later.
This snippet defines EPR in the context of plastic rules: producers and brand owners have been made responsible for collecting waste generated from their products.
A student could check the text/date of the Recycled Plastic Rules (1999) to see if this specific producer-responsibility language appears there or only in later amendments.
Mentions a CPCB committee recommending measures for effective implementation of EPR and amendments to EPR guidelines — ties EPR explicitly to plastic-rule implementation processes.
Use this to infer that EPR was a recognized implementation issue for plastics and then look up when CPCB/EPR guidance for plastics was first issued relative to 1999.
States that provisions for generation and transaction of EPR Certificates have been introduced (in the discussed rules), indicating EPR mechanisms were added to plastic-related rules at some point.
A student can compare the 1999 rule text with later rule texts/amendments to see when EPR certificate provisions first appeared.
Policy measures (e.g., changing minimum plastic thickness to facilitate collection and recycling) show regulatory focus on making waste easier to manage/recycle — a goal consistent with EPR approaches.
Combine this policy objective with timelines of regulations to judge whether such measures accompanied an EPR introduction in 1999 or were added later.
Shows how EPR was explicitly introduced for e-waste rules ('for the first time, the Rules will bring the producers under Extended Producer Responsibility') which provides a comparative example of when regulators introduced EPR in another waste stream.
Use the known timing of E-waste EPR introduction to build a chronology and check whether plastics predated, coincided with, or followed that EPR adoption.
- Directly states that the Rules, for the first time, bring producers under Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR).
- Specifies producers are made responsible for collection of e-waste and for its disposal.
- Says the rules launch a new EPR regime for e-waste recycling.
- Notes producers/ manufacturers/ refurbishers/ recyclers must register and producers are given annual E-waste recycling targets.
- Explains EPR was earlier discretionary and that, for the first time, producers and brand owners are made responsible for collecting waste from their products.
- Emphasizes the shift of responsibility to producers/brand owners as a salient feature.
- Explicitly states that single-use plastic products are subject to EPR, linking EPR to packaging/plastic regulation rather than to a 2011 regulation.
- Mentions the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India in the context of packaging regulations and drafts (later instruments), not the 2011 Regulations.
- Notes the Draft Food Safety and Standards (Packaging) Amendment Regulations (2022) were developed based on Plastic Waste Management (Amendment) Rules (2021), indicating regulatory developments on packaging/EPR occurred well after 2011.
- Implies packaging-related responsibilities (and related EPR measures) are addressed in later amendments/drafts rather than originating in 2011.
- References FSSAI Packaging Regulations, 2018 (revised 2022) and FSSAI directions in 2022, showing packaging/EPR-related measures are in later instruments rather than being introduced in 2011.
- Connects EPR discussion to these later regulations and directions rather than to the 2011 Regulations.
Shows the Food Safety & Standards Act, 2006 created a consolidated legal framework (repealing many earlier food laws) under which later regulations (like 2011) would be made.
A student could check whether the 2011 regulations, framed under the 2006 Act, include new producer obligations such as EPR by comparing the 2006 Act's scope with the 2011 regulations' text.
Explicitly notes that the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 replaced earlier law — giving a timeline and institutional authority (FSSAI) that issues regulations such as those of 2011.
Use this timeline to focus documentary search on subsidiary regulations issued by FSSAI in 2011 to see if EPR-style provisions were introduced then.
Shows FSSAI issues sector-specific regulations (example: organic food regulations published later in 2017), indicating FSSAI uses regulations to add specific producer/market obligations.
By analogy, inspect the 2011 regulations for whether they similarly introduced producer-focused obligations (e.g., packaging/producer responsibility) as the 2017 organic rules did for certification.
Describes how FSSAI's organic regulations mandate certification and labeling requirements—an example of regulatory imposition of responsibilities on producers/marketers.
A student could infer that if FSSAI can impose labeling/certification duties, it might also be capable of imposing EPR-related duties; thus they should check 2011 text for packaging/waste/producer duties.
Notes the FPO mark is a mandatory certification introduced under the FSS framework, showing the regulatory toolkit includes mandatory producer-facing marks/requirements.
Use this as precedent to investigate whether the 2011 regulations similarly introduced mandatory producer responsibilities (such as take-back or packaging obligations consistent with EPR).
- [THE VERDICT]: Sitter. Direct lift from standard sources (e.g., Shankar IAS Chapter on Environmental Pollution) which explicitly states e-Waste Rules 2011 introduced EPR 'for the first time'.
- [THE CONCEPTUAL TRIGGER]: Waste Management Regulatory Framework. Specifically, the shift from 'Command and Control' to 'Market-based Instruments' like EPR.
- [THE HORIZONTAL EXPANSION]: Memorize the 'Unique Selling Point' of each Rule: Bio-medical (Color Coding: Yellow/Red/White/Blue, Bar Coding); Plastic (Thickness limits: 50->75->120 microns, 'Brand Owner' liability); Solid Waste (Segregation: Wet/Dry/Domestic Hazardous); Hazardous Waste (Transboundary movement, Basel Convention).
- [THE STRATEGIC METACOGNITION]: Do not just read the rules; create a 'Timeline of Evolution'. Ask: When did 'Polluter Pays' enter? When did 'EPR' enter? When did 'Segregation at Source' become mandatory? The exam tests the *chronology of reform*.
EPR makes producers/brand owners responsible for collection and disposal/recycling of products they place on the market and is presented as a key feature in waste rules for electrical/plastic products.
High-yield for UPSC because EPR is a recurring governance tool in environmental regulation; mastering it helps answer questions on producer obligations, regulatory mechanisms (targets, registration, EPR certificates) and implementation challenges. It links environmental law with industrial responsibility and waste-management policy questions.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.rr.3. E-Waste Management Rules, eor6 > p. 94
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > S.tL.4. E waste management rules aozz > p. 95
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > Salier* features > p. 98
Different rules target different wastes—bio-medical rules focus on healthcare waste segregation and treatment, while e-waste and plastic rules emphasize producer responsibility and recycling targets.
Essential for UPSC to correctly attribute features to the right statute (bio-medical vs e-waste vs plastic). This prevents factual errors in comparative questions and essays, and connects to broader topics like public health, municipal governance and industrial regulation.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > c" Hospital waste > p. 85
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.rr.3. E-Waste Management Rules, eor6 > p. 94
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > Salier* features > p. 98
The 1998 rules are linked to improving segregation, collection, treatment and disposal practices at healthcare establishments.
Important factual base for questions on environment and public health policy; knowing the primary focus of the 1998 rules lets aspirants place later reforms (amendments, newer rules) in context and analyse policy evolution and implementation gaps.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > c" Hospital waste > p. 85
- Environment and Ecology, Majid Hussain (Access publishing 3rd ed.) > Chapter 12: Major Crops and Cropping Patterns in India > Table I Main Environmental Laws of India > p. 88
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > z. r o u Bio-Medical Waste Management Rules, zoi 6 > p. 91
EPR makes producers responsible for collection, recycling and disposal obligations for products they put on the market.
High-yield for environment governance questions: understanding EPR helps answer queries on producer obligations, waste-management policy shifts, and regulatory accountability. It links to topics on circular economy, pollution control frameworks, and policy instruments for waste reduction; useful for questions comparing different sectoral rules (e-waste, plastics) and identifying who bears end-of-life responsibility.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > Salier* features > p. 98
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.rr.3. E-Waste Management Rules, eor6 > p. 94
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > S.tL.4. E waste management rules aozz > p. 95
Modern waste rules require online registration/authorization of producers, refurbishers and recyclers for regulatory tracking and compliance.
Practically important for administrative and implementation aspects of environmental law: questions often probe mechanisms (registration, targets, portals) used to operationalize rules. Mastering this helps link legal provisions to implementation challenges and state-CPCB roles.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > S.tL.4. E waste management rules aozz > p. 95
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.rr.3. E-Waste Management Rules, eor6 > p. 94
Plastic rules classify packaging types and set minimum thickness norms to aid collection and recycling.
Useful for policy-scope and regulation-design questions: knowing classification and standards explains how rules aim to improve recyclability and reduce litter. This concept connects to state bans, product standards, and technical measures in waste management strategies.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > Amendment rules eozz > p. 99
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > Salier* features > p. 97
EPR is the central policy change introduced by the 2011 e-waste rules making producers legally responsible for their products’ end-of-life.
High-yield for environment and governance sections: explains a major shift in regulatory approach from local bodies to producer liability; connects to questions on producer liability, circular economy, and regulatory instruments for waste management. Mastery helps answer policy-interpretation and reform-impact questions.
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > 5.rr.3. E-Waste Management Rules, eor6 > p. 94
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > Salier* features > p. 98
- Environment, Shankar IAS Acedemy .(ed 10th) > Chapter 5: Environmental Pollution > S.tL.4. E waste management rules aozz > p. 95
The 'Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules, 2001' contained a 'Buy-back' provision, which was a primitive precursor to EPR. Also, the 'Plastic Waste Management Rules, 2016' were the first to explicitly bring 'Brand Owners' (like Amazon/Flipkart) under the EPR ambit.
Apply 'Nature of Waste' logic. Bio-medical waste (Option A) is infectious/hazardous; the priority is immediate treatment by the hospital (Occupier), not sending it back to a factory. Food Safety (Option D) is about hygiene, not disposal. Between Plastic (1999) and e-Waste (2011), EPR is a sophisticated policy tool; 1999 is too early for India to have adopted it as a core feature. 2011 fits the timeline of modernizing environmental laws.
Mains GS-3 (Environment & Economy): EPR is the legal backbone of the 'Circular Economy'. It shifts the financial burden of waste management from the Taxpayer (Municipalities) to the Producer, incentivizing 'Design for Environment' (DfE).