Dismissed

M/S Pashmina Exporters and Manufacturers Association and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.

Delhi HC5 Nov 2024W.P.(C)/14361/2022

Case brief

AI extract

What is this about?

The High Court of Delhi dismissed this PIL filed to improve forensic testing for suspected Shahtoosh shawls upon gaining satisfaction that the Pashmina Certification Centre (WII, Dehradun) now provides adequate certification and testing facilities, supplemented by a new Scanning Electron Microscope.

What did the court decide?

The present writ petition is closed.

M/S Pashmina Exporters and Manufacturers Association and Ors. Vs Union of India and Ors. — Delhi HC (2024) — LawSathi Research

¶1

$~21

¶2

* IN THE HIGH COURT OF DELHI AT NEW DELHI

¶3

- W.P.(C) 14361/2022

¶4

M/S PASHMINA EXPORTERS AND MANUFACTURERS ASSOCIATION AND ORS .....Petitioners Through: Mr. Tanveer Ahmed Mir, Advocate

¶5

versus

¶6

UNION OF INDIA AND ORS .....Respondents Through: Mr. Anurag Ahluwalia, CGSC and Mr. Abhigyan Siddhant, GP for R-1 to 3, 6 & 8 Mr. Vivek Singh and Mr. Ritik Dwivedi, Advocates for R-11 Mr. Rajeev Kumar Mishra and Ms. Yashna Ahuja, Advocates for R-12

¶7

CORAM: HON'BLE THE CHIEF JUSTICE HON'BLE MR. JUSTICE TUSHAR RAO GEDELA

¶8

¶9

O R D E R 05.11.2024

¶10

Present public interest petition has been filed to improve, augment and enhance existing forensic testing infrastructure available to all Forensic Science Labs engaged in analysis of suspected Shahtoosh Shawls.

¶11

Today, learned counsel for respondent/Union of India states that to assist the seamless trade of Pashmina products, the Export and Promotion Council for Handicraft (EPCH) has signed an MoU with the Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehradun, for setting up a ‘ Pashmina Certification Centre’ (PCC) in WII Campus on 05^th January 2023.

¶12

This is a digitally signed order. The authenticity of the order can be re-verified from Delhi High Court Order Portal by scanning the QR code shown above. The Order is downloaded from the DHC Server on 04/07/2025 at 01:57:52

¶13

He further states that on 19^th May 2023, PCC was inaugurated by the Hon'ble Minister of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India, with tagging the first unique ID barcode and issuing the PCC e- certificate. This PCC was set up to streamline the Pashmina Trade and to provide a one-stop testing facility to certify genuine Pashmina Products in advance before the trade that it is free from any prohibited fibers. The service of PCC is extended to all the associated manufacturers, exporters, and traders of Pashmina on a payment basis. All the tested Pashmina products are labeled with a traceable unique id tag with individual e- certificates (with the product's image) downloadable from the WII's server, enabling a seamless trade of such products in national and international markets. In the absence of such a facility in the country, commercial woolen products are scrutinized to rule out the presence of prohibited fibers at the country's exit points (by Customs). The PCC at WII, Dehradun assists honest exporters and traders involved in the trade of genuine Pashmina products.

¶14

He states that setting up such a facility in India has been a game changer for the seamless trade of genuine Pashmina products with authentic and tamperproof certification from a reputed Central Government's Scientific Agency (WII, Dehradun). Till date the PCC at WII, Dehradun has certified more than 13000 products received from various associated traders. The existing PCC facility at WII, Dehradun is already being used by the traders of Pashmina products.

¶15

He also states that with the support from EPCH, the PCC at WII is going to receive a Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) at the end of this month (November 2024).

¶16

¶17

He lastly states that WII has a well-furnished and fully equipped functional DNA testing laboratory and provides wildlife Forensics support to the enforcement agencies using the same. Over the years, the WII has produced more than 2500 forensic reports using DNA test. However, due to heavy processing of finished Pashmina products, DNA extraction and testing was not consistent and could yield only 40% success from the earlier tested samples. Hence, DNA testing for finished Pashmina products could not be recommended due to its limitation. (i.e., possibility of excessive false negative reporting).

¶18

In view of the aforesaid statements, which are taken on record, the present writ petition is closed.

¶19

MANMOHAN, CJ

¶20

TUSHAR RAO GEDELA, J

¶21

NOVEMBER 5, 2024 yrj

¶22

M/S Pashmina Exporters and Manufacturers Association and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

M/S Pashmina Exporters and Manufacturers Association and Ors. v. Union of India and Ors.

Case brief

What is this about?

What did the court decide?

What the court decided

A compact analysis

Parties & counsel

Coram

Case details

Similar cases

Mohd Arshad Vs Bses Yamuna Power Limited

Lal Chand Chaprana Vs Municipal Corporation of Delhi & Ors.

Vijay Kumar and Ors. Vs Sashastra Seema Bal and Anr.

Mahender Singh Vs Union of India & Ors.

M/S Jai Shri Banke Bihari Traders Vs Union of India & Ors.

Dr Robin Malik & Anr. Vs Govt of NCT of Delhi

Sanjay Gambhir Vs State of NCT of Delhi & Ors.

Rachna Paul Vs Government of NCT of Delhi and Ors.

Manish Raghav Vs Union of India & Anr.

Shiva Buildtech Pvt. Ltd. Vs Northern Railway

Sameer Bahadur Vs Union of India & Anr.

Vinod Kumar Jain Vs Registrar of Cooperative Societies & Anr.

Shanti Mahato Vs Gulshan Verma & Anr.

Mrs. Renu Jain Vs Union of India and Ors.