Date: 2026-01-22Category: Extra OrdinaryState: Union GovernmentCountry: India
Proposal for providing suitable provision under Drugs Rules, 1945 for inclusion of warning caution in blue colour strip box on the label of antimicrobials
**Executive Summary**
The document is a notification from the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, Government of India, announcing proposed amendments to the Drugs Rules, 1945. It publishes draft rules for public review and comment. The deadline for submitting objections or suggestions is thirty days from the date the Gazette of India containing these draft rules are made available to the public, January 22, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Title and Commencement:**
* The proposed rules are to be called the Drugs (...... Amendment) Rules, 2025.
* The rules will come into force from the date specified by the Government upon final publication in the Official Gazette.
* **Amendment to Rule 96 of the Drugs Rules, 1945:**
* A new clause (xiv) will be inserted in sub-rule (1) of Rule 96.
* The new clause mandates that antimicrobial drugs and their preparations must bear a conspicuous blue vertical strip on the left side of the label, running the entire length without obscuring other label information.
* **Submission of Objections/Suggestions:**
* Objections and suggestions can be sent to the Under Secretary (Drugs), Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, or via email to drugsdiv-mohfw@gov.in.
**Impact Analysis**
**Stakeholder: Antimicrobial Drug Manufacturers**
* **Impact:** Required to modify the labeling of antimicrobial drugs and preparations to include a blue vertical strip on the left side of the label.
* **Action Required:** Implement the label change in compliance with the new rule upon its final publication and enforcement.
**Stakeholder: Public / Consumers**
* **Impact:** Consumers will be able to identify antimicrobial drugs more easily through the standardized blue vertical strip on the label.
* **Action Required:** Review the draft rules and provide suggestions and objections, if any, to the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare within thirty days of the Gazette's availability.
**Stakeholder: Ministry of Health and Family Welfare**
* **Impact:** Responsible for reviewing feedback on the draft rules and finalizing them for publication and enforcement.
* **Action Required:** Collect and consider objections/suggestions from the public and drug manufacturers before finalizing and publishing the amended rules in the Official Gazette.
Key Entities Referenced
Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940: The principal act being amended
Drugs Rules, 1945: The rules being amended by this notification
Ministry of Health and Family Welfare: The ministry issuing the notification
Drugs Technical Advisory Board: Consulted before making the rule
रजिस्ट्री स.ं डी.एल.- 33004/99 REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99
सी.जी.-डी.एल.-अ.-23012026-269542
CG-DxLx-xEG-I2D3H0x1x2x0 26-269542
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असाधारण
EXTRAORDINARY
भाग II—खण् ड 3—उप-खण्ड (i)
PART II—Section 3—Sub-section (i)
प्राजधकार स ेप्रकाजित
PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY
स.ं 51] नई दिल्ली, बहृ स्ट्प जतवार, िनवरी 22, 2026/माघ 2, 1947 ष 25, 1947 26/पौष 17, 1947
No. 51] NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, JANUARY 22, 2026/MAGHA 2, 1947 /PAUSHA 17, 1947
स्ट्वास्ट््य और पररवार कल्याण मत्रं ालय
(स्ट्वास्ट््य और पररवार कल्याण जवभाग)
अजधसचू ना
नई दिल्ली, 21 िनवरी, 2026
सा.का.जन. 51(अ).—औषजध जनयम, में आगे संिोधन करने के जलए कुछ जनयमों का जनम्नजलजखत प्रारूप 1945,
जिसे केंद्र सरकार, औषजध और प्रसाधन सामग्री अजधजनयम, 1940(23 का 1940) की धारा ) धारा-की उप 121 और (
धारा ) धारा-की उप 331द्वारा प्रित्त िजियों का प्रयोग करते हुए (, औषजध तकनीकी सलाहकार बोडड से परामिड के बाि,
बनाने का प्रस्ट्ताव करती ह,ै एतद्द्वारा उन सभी व्यजियों की सूचना के जलए प्रकाजित दकया िाता ह ै जिनके इससे प्रभाजवत
होने की संभावना ह,ै
और एतद्द्वारा सूजचत दकया िाता ह ैदक उि प्रारूप जनयमों पर भारत के रािपत्र की प्रजतयां जिनमें य ेप्रारूप जनयम
िाजमल ह,ैं िनता के जलए उपलब्ध कराए िान े की तारीख स े तीस दिन की अवजध समाप्त होने पर या उसके बाि जवचार
दकया िाएगा।
उपयुडि जनर्िष्टड अवजध के भीतर दकसी भी व्यजि से प्राप्त होने वाली आपजत्तयों और सुझावों पर केंद्र सरकार द्वारा
जवचार दकया िाएगा।
आपजत्तयां और सुझाव, यदि कोई हों, अवर सजचव) औषजध(, स्ट्वास्ट््य और पररवार कल्याण मत्रं ालय, भारत सरकार, यू-6,
वकड हॉल सी ववंग, प्रथम तल, कतडव्य भवन-1, नई दिल्ली, 110001को संबोजधत दकया िा सकता ह ै अथवा ई-मेल के
माध्यम स े drugsdiv-mohfw@gov.in पर भेिा िा सकता ह।ै
489 GI/2026 (1)2 THE GAZETTE OF INDIA : EXTRAORDINARY [PART II—SEC. 3(i)]
प्रारूप जनयम
1. (i) इन जनयमों को औषजध (...... संिोधन) जनयम, 2025 कहा िा सकता ह।ै
(ii) ये जनयम सरकार द्वारा आजधकाररक रािपत्र म ेंजनयमों के अंजतम प्रकािन के समय जनर्िडष्ट तारीख स ेलाग ू होंगे।
2. औषजध जनयम, 1945 म,ें जनयम 96 के उप) जनयम-1) में, खंड )xiii) के बाि, जनम्नजलजखत खंड डाला िाएगा, अथाडत― ् :
“(xiv) रोगाणरु ोधी औषजधयां और उनके जनमाडण लेबल पर मुदद्रत अन्य ितों को बाजधत दकए जबना लेबल के परू े
भाग पर फैली हुई बाईं ओर एक जवजिष्ट नीली ऊध्वाडधर पट्टी धारण करेंगे।”
[फा.स.ं एक्स.11014/14/2025-डीआर]
हष ड मगं ला, संयिु सजचव
रिप्पणी: मूल जनयम आजधकाररक रािपत्र म ेंअजधसूचना संख्या एफ. 28-10/45-एच(1) दिनाकं 21 दिसंबर, 1945 के तहत
प्रकाजित दकए गए थे और अंजतम बार अजधसूचना संख्या सा.का.जन.…..(अ),दिनांक.……के तहत संिोजधत दकए
गए थे।
MINISTRY OF HEALTH AND FAMILY WELFARE
(Department of Health and Family Welfare)
NOTIFICATION
New Delhi, 21st January, 2026
G.S.R. 51(E).—The following draft of certain rules further to amend the Drugs Rules, 1945, which the
Central Government proposes to make, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) of section 12 and sub-
section (1) of section 33 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 (23 of 1940), after consultation with the Drugs Technical
Advisory Board is hereby published for information of all persons likely to be affected thereby, and notice is hereby
given that the said draft rules shall be taken into consideration on or after the expiry of a period of thirty days from the
date on which the copies of the Gazette of India containing these draft rules are made available to the public.
Objections and suggestions which may be received from any person within the period specified above will be
considered by the Central Government.
Objections and suggestions, if any, may be addressed to the Under Secretary (Drugs), Ministry of Health and
Family Welfare, Government of India, U-6, Work Hall- C Wing, first floor, Kartavya Bhawan-1, New Delhi, 110001
or emailed at drugsdiv-mohfw@gov.in.
DRAFT RULES
1. (i) These rules may be called the Drugs (...... Amendment) Rules, 2025.
(ii) These rules shall come into force from the date as specified by the Government at the time of final publication
of the rules in the Official Gazette.
2. In the Drugs Rules, 1945, in Rule 96, in sub-rule (1), after clause (xiii), following clause shall be inserted, namely:–
“(xiv) Antimicrobial drugs and their preparations shall bear a conspicuous blue vertical strip on the left side
running throughout the body of the label without disturbing the other conditions printed on the label.”
[F. No. X.11014/14/2025-DR]
HARSH MANGLA, Jt. Secy.
Note: The principal rules were published in the Official Gazette vide notification No. F. 28-10/45-H(1) dated 21st the
December, 1945 and last amended vide notification number G.S.R.…..(E), dated.……
Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064
and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054.