The Department of Consumer Affairs (Legal Metrology Division) has released a detailed FAQ document clarifying provisions of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and its allied Rules.

The FAQs clarify that all declarations required under the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011 are sufficient if provided clearly on the footwear box or its label, and where footwear is sold without a box, such declarations may be made on tags, stickers, or other suitable means. For retail sale price, either the symbol “₹” or the words “Rs.” may be used. Section 22 of the Act, relating to model approval, does not apply to Feeler Gauges, electronic calipers, mini vernier gauges, dial depth gauges, bore gauges, digital indicators, and load cells, though load cells may be added under the General Rules shortly. Verification and stamping of weighing machines of very high accuracy classes must be carried out at the place of installation before use. Details such as model approval number, manufacturer, capacity, and ‘e’ value are advisable at the time of manufacture but must mandatorily appear before sale.

The FAQs also state that import of a small number of weighing/measuring instruments (not exceeding five) is permissible for R&D purposes, but they cannot be sold or used without compliance, and prior intimation must be given to the Controller of Legal Metrology. Institutional and industrial packs are exempt from mandatory LMPC declarations if labelled “not for retail sale.” Weighing machines used exclusively for R&D are not required to be verified or stamped. For packaging declarations, the complete name and address of the brand owner with the words “Marketed by” or “Brand Owner” suffices for Rule 6(1)(a). Retailers under GST selling packaged commodities by weight or volume must maintain an electronic weighing machine of at least accuracy class III with a 1g division and receipt facility, available free for consumers to check weights. Shipper or transportation cartons should be clearly marked as “wholesale package” or “transportation only.”

Gas meters have now been included under the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011 vide GSR 242(E) dated April 21, 2025, effective September 1, 2025, making compliance under the Act mandatory from that date. The FAQs confirm that font sizes prescribed under Rule 7 are minimum requirements and larger font sizes are permissible. Declarations on the principal display panel can either be grouped together in one place or split between pre-printed and online information. For combination, group, or multi-piece packages, unit sale price need not be declared, and quantity can be expressed as “1N” or “1U” in addition to conventional terms such as number, set, piece, or pair. Initial verification of weighing and measuring instruments is compulsory before sale or use, including those for domestic purposes. For imported products, the declaration of the importer’s name and address along with the country of origin is sufficient, and the foreign manufacturer’s details are not mandatory. Finally, weights and measures used by industries for purely internal purposes, not impacting consumer delivery or transactions, are exempt from re-verification requirements under Rule 27(2).