Rule 6 explained: this guide covers what it means, who it applies to, the step-by-step process, documents required, fees, due dates and penalties in India — so you can stay compliant with confidence and avoid costly mistakes.
Four clauses of rule 6(1) cover what is inside the package. Clause (b) asks for the common or generic name of the commodity, clause (c) for the net quantity in standard units or by number, clause (f) for dimensions where the size of the goods matters, and clause (g) picks up other matters specified elsewhere in the Rules.
Every package must carry a definite, plain and conspicuous declaration of the common or generic name of the commodity. A package with more than one product must show the name and the number or quantity of each. The net quantity must be in the standard unit of weight or measure, or as a number where sold by number. Where size is relevant, the dimensions must be declared, piece by piece if the pieces differ.
How to read clauses (b), (c), (f) and (g)
Rule 6(1) opens by requiring a "definite, plain and conspicuous declaration" on the package or a securely affixed label. The clauses in this article are items in that list. The text used here is the Packaged Commodities Rules as amended up to G.S.R. 226(E) of 28 March 2022. Clauses (a) and (aa) are in our article on name, address and country of origin; the date and price clauses have their own articles.
Sellers of packaged food often ask how these declarations sit beside food labelling. The Packaged Commodities Rules defer only particular declarations to the Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 (Explanation III to clause (a) and the provisos to clause (d)). Clauses (b), (c), (f) and (g) carry no such carve-out in the text we used. Our FSSAI label compliance service looks at both sets of rules together.
Clause (b): common or generic name
The text: "The common or generic names of the commodity contained in the package and in case of packages with more than one product, the name and number or quantity of each product shall be mentioned on the package."
Three things to note:
- The name required is the common or generic name, not just a brand. A brand name alone, such as a coined trade name, does not by itself tell the consumer what the commodity is.
- The text does not define "common or generic name" or say who decides it. It means the name by which the product is commonly known.
- For a package with more than one product, each product must be named with its number or quantity. A gift box of a soap, a shampoo and a lotion must name all three and say how many or how much of each.
Clause (c): net quantity
The text: "The net quantity, in terms of the standard unit of weight or measure, of the commodity contained in the package or where the commodity is packed or sold by number, the number of the commodity contained in the package shall be mentioned."
"Net quantity" is defined in rule 2(f) as the quantity by weight, measure or number of the commodity contained in the package, excluding the packaging or wrapper. Clause (c) says two things: use the standard unit, or use the number if the commodity is sold by number. The detailed rules on which unit, how to write it, and what to do about moisture loss are in rules 11, 12 and 13 and the Third and Fourth Schedules. See rules 11 and 12 and rule 13.
| Question | Where the answer is |
|---|---|
| Must I exclude the wrapper? | Rule 2(f) and rule 11(1) |
| Which unit for less than a kilogram? | Rule 13(2): gram |
| May I say "approx."? | Rule 12(6): no words that create an exaggerated, misleading or inadequate impression |
| Which commodities may be sold by number or by volume? | Rule 12(2) and the Fourth Schedule |
| How tall must the numerals be? | Rule 7 |
The net quantity is also where an inspection bites. Rule 19 and the Fifth to Seventh Schedules deal with sampling and the maximum permissible error. The penalty for a short net quantity is in section 36(2) of the Act; see section 36.
Clause (f): dimensions
The text: "Where the sizes of the commodity contained in the package are relevant, the dimensions of the commodity contained in the package and if the dimensions of the different pieces are different, the dimensions of each such different piece shall be mentioned."
- The trigger is that the size is relevant. The clause does not list commodities; rules 14 to 17 set out specific cases such as sheets, bed linen and containers (see rules 14 to 17).
- When pieces differ, each piece's dimensions are declared.
- The clause does not say what makes size "relevant". A tile's size is, a bottle of oil's is not. Where the price depends on length or area, rule 15 requires the dimensions, weight or combination to be declared.
Clause (g): such other matter as specified in these rules
Clause (g) is a bridge. It says "such other matter as are specified in these rules". It means that declarations required by other rules are part of rule 6(1) as well. The declarations in rules 14 to 17, and the GM, dot and consumer-care requirements in rule 6(2) to (8), are examples found in the text.
Clause (g) is followed by a set of provisos (A), (B) and (C). Proviso (A) removes the month and year declaration for bidi, incense sticks and certain LPG cylinders; proviso (B) deals with packaging material printed with a month; and proviso (C) removes the price declaration for bidi and price-administered LPG cylinders. We cover them with the date and price clauses in the articles on dates and on MRP.
Practical examples
Example 1. A hamper contains two jars of jam and one box of biscuits. The hamper label should name each product and the number or quantity of each, as clause (b) requires for packages with more than one product.
Example 2. A pack of handkerchiefs is sold as a set of six in two different sizes. Clause (f) calls for the dimensions of each different piece, and rule 14 has further requirements for such commodities.
Example 3. A sealed pouch of rice states "1 kg". Clause (c) requires the net quantity in the standard unit, and rule 11(1) says the wrapper is excluded from that weight.
Need help with name and quantity declarations?
Quantity and name lines are the most checked items in any inspection, and they are also easy to get wrong in multi-product packs. Our FSSAI label compliance service can go through your pack layout with you and map each line to the rule that requires it.
Key takeaways
- Clause (b) requires the common or generic name; multi-product packs show each product's name and number or quantity.
- Clause (c) requires the net quantity in the standard unit, or the number where sold by number, excluding the wrapper.
- Clause (f) requires dimensions where size is relevant, piece by piece where pieces differ.
- Clause (g) pulls in other matters that the Rules specify.
- The detailed unit and wording rules are in rules 11 to 17 and the Third and Fourth Schedules.
Read next
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Name, address and country of origin
- Rule 6 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Date of manufacture, best before and use by
- Rules 11 and 12 of the Packaged Commodities Rules, 2011: Declaration of quantity
- Mandatory declarations on pre-packaged commodities
Disclaimer: Based on the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 (as amended up to March 2022; check later amendments), read with the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (Act 1 of 2010), as on 30 September 2026. The Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023 (in force) and the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026 (in force only from the date the Central Government notifies) amend the Act's penalty sections, not rule 6. State Legal Metrology rules, later amendments and notifications change; verify the current position before acting.