Above: Photo by Anil Shakya

There is, as of now, no change in the original health warning instruction on packaging of cigarettes, because the Karnataka High Court had cancelled the Centre’s amendment rule and because the Supreme Court on Friday (December 22) said that it cannot pass any order in the absence of the high court order (which was not made available to the top court).

Hearing has been deferred to January 8.

The Ministry Of Health And Family Welfare (Department of Health and Family Welfare) had issued a notification (dated October 15, 2014), extending the specified health warning area on a packet of cigarettes to cover at least 85 percent of the principal display area, instead of 40 percent.

The gazetted notification said these rules would be called the Cigarettes and other Tobacco Products (Packaging and Labelling) Amendment Rules, 2014.

This rule was rejected by the high court and the old standard stays till the next hearing at the top court.

An NGO named Health for Millions had filed an application at the apex court against the order of the high court.

—India Legal Bureau