1[21. Inspectors.--(1) The Central Government or a State Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint such persons as it thinks fit, having the prescribed qualifications, to be Inspectors for such areas as may be assigned to them by the Central Government or the State Government, as the case may be.
(2) The powers which may be exercised by an Inspector and the duties which may be performed by him, the drugs or 2[classes of drugs or cosmetics or classes of cosmetics] in relation to which and the conditions, limitations or restrictions subject to which, such powers and duties may be exercised or performed shall be such as may be prescribed.
(3) No person who has any financial interest 3[in the import, manufacture or sale of drugs or cosmetics] shall be appointed to be an Inspector under this section.
(4) Every Inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), and shall be officially subordinate to such authority 4[having the prescribed qualifications, as the Government appointing him may specify in this behalf.]
(2) The powers which may be exercised by an Inspector and the duties which may be performed by him, the drugs or 2[classes of drugs or cosmetics or classes of cosmetics] in relation to which and the conditions, limitations or restrictions subject to which, such powers and duties may be exercised or performed shall be such as may be prescribed.
(3) No person who has any financial interest 3[in the import, manufacture or sale of drugs or cosmetics] shall be appointed to be an Inspector under this section.
(4) Every Inspector shall be deemed to be a public servant within the meaning of section 21 of the Indian Penal Code (45 of 1860), and shall be officially subordinate to such authority 4[having the prescribed qualifications, as the Government appointing him may specify in this behalf.]
Source footnotes
1. Subs by Act 35 of 1960, s. 4, for the original sections 20 and 21 (w.e.f. 16-3-1961).2. Subs. by Act 21 of 1962, s. 17, for "class of drugs" (w.e.f. 27-7-1964).
3. Subs. by s. 17, ibid., for "in the manufacture, import or sale of drugs" (w.e.f. 27-7-1964).
4. Ins. by Act 68 of 1982, s. 18 (w.e.f. 1-2-1983).
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More sections of this act
Section 1 · Short title, extent and commencement.Section 2 · Application of other laws not barred.Section 3 · Definitions.Section 3A · Construction of references to any law not in force or any functionary not in existence in the State of Jammu and Kashmir.Section 4 · Presumption as to poisonous substances.Section 5 · The Drugs Technical Advisory Board.Section 6 · The Central Drugs Laboratory.Section 7 · The Drugs Consultative Committee.India Code, Government of India. Text fetched 22 Oct 2026. Check the linked official text and subsequent notifications when applying a provision.