New Delhi: Upholding the citizens' right to information under the Constitution, the Delhi High Court in a significant ruling on November 13 said all cosmetic products and non-life saving drugs with animal extracts must indicate its presence clearly.

Since government has already laid down the rules for compulsorily indicating on every packed food item about the presence of animal extracts, a Bench comprising Justice Anil Dev Singh and Justice Mukul Mudgal said the same principle would also apply to the Non-Life Saving Drugs (NLSD) as well as all cosmetic products.

Directing that a specifically designed "red mark" be inscribed on every cosmetic product which has animal extracts, the Court said that similarly a "green mark" should be out on NLSDs to indicate the presence of the same.

However, the court said that the life saving drugs would be out of the purview of its order considering the fact that a more important question of saving the life of a person was involved.

The order came on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL), filed by one Ozair Hussain, who had sought a direction to the government to frame rules and guidelines about indicating presence of animal extracts on the packaging of food items, cosmetics and drugs to protect the interests of vegetarians, who have fundamental rights to know about the nature of the product they are consuming.

The court directed Director General of Health Services to issue a list of life saving drugs within two months so that they were kept out side the purview of its order.

PTI