State PCS - Madhya Pradesh (MP PCS)

• 25 Aug 2025

Food Adulteration Cases in MP

Why in News? 

State Minister of Health and Family Welfare, Pratap Rao Jadhav, replied in the Rajya Sabha that, on average, seven food adulteration cases are reported daily in Madhya Pradesh, placing the state third in India, after Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan, for food safety violations. 

Key Points 

• Penalties Under FSS Act: In the financial year 2024-25, 2,597 cases were penalized under the Food Safety and Standards (FSS) Act, 2006, out of a total of 13,920 food samples tested.  
  • This reflects an increase of 659 cases compared to 2023-24, when 1,938 penalties were imposed on 13,842 samples. 
• Trend Analysis: Over the past five years, Madhya Pradesh has seen the highest number of penalties imposed for food adulteration among all states, following Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan. 

Food Adulteration 

• About: As per Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI), food adulteration refers to the intentional addition, substitution, or removal of substances that negatively impact the nature, quality, or safety of food.   
  • It also includes unintentional contamination that may occur during cultivation, harvesting, storage, processing, transportation, or distribution.  
• Causes of Food Adulteration in India: 
  • Weak enforcement and fragmented food supply chains (80% in informal markets). 
  • Lack of unified national policy and divergence from global safety standards. 
  • Resource constraints in processing industries, reuse of frying oil, poor hygiene. 
  • Pesticide residues and substandard fortification practices; misleading labeling. 
• Legal & Policy Framework: 
  • FSSA, 2006 & FSSAI – regulates production, import, sale, and standards. 
  • Packaging & Labelling Regulations, 2011 – ingredient, allergen, expiry disclosure. 
  • Consumer Protection Act, 2019 – right to compensation for adulterated food. 
• Recommended Measures: 
  • Formalize the food processing sector (e.g., PM FME Scheme). 
  • Align regulations with global standards; amend FSSA. 
  • Increase skilled workforce; promote industry–academia collaboration. 
  • Strengthen surveillance, penalties, mobile labs, and supply chain management. 
  • Adopt One Health Approach for upstream/downstream contamination control. 

Key Infrastructure Projects Announced in MP

Why in News? 

Union Minister for Road Transport and Highways, Nitin Gadkari, announced major infrastructure projects in Madhya Pradesh, including a four-lane corridor connecting key tiger reserves to boost tourism and a greenfield highway between Bhopal and Jabalpur, with construction set to begin next year. 

Key Points 

• Tiger Corridor: The ₹5,500-crore 'tiger corridor' will link Kanha, Pench, Bandhavgarh, and Panna tiger reserves, aiming to boost tourism, create jobs, and enhance the state's economy. 
• Highways: A new 255-km greenfield highway between Bhopal and Jabalpur will be built at a cost of ₹15,000 crore, with the Detailed Project Report (DPR) due by December 2025. 
  • A 220-km high-speed corridor connecting Lakhnadon in Seoni district to Raipur, Chhattisgarh, was also announced. 
• Longest Flyover: A new 6.85 km flyover in Jabalpur, the longest in the state, was also inaugurated and will reduce travel time between Madan Mahal and Damoh Naka from 45 minutes to just 7 minutes.  
  • It also includes a 192-meter cable-stayed bridge and three bow-string bridges. 
  • The flyover, costing ₹1,200 crore, was funded by the Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF) and was originally initiated in 2019.

Central Road and Infrastructure Fund

• The Central Road and Infrastructure Fund (CRIF), originally known as the Central Road Fund, was established in 2000 under the Central Road Fund Act, 2000. 
  • The fund is financed through a cess levied alongside the excise duty on petrol and diesel. 
• The Ministry of Finance now administers the CRIF, whereas it was previously managed by the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways. 
• The Central Road Fund Act (Amendment) of 2018 renamed the fund and expanded its scope, allowing proceeds to finance other infrastructure projects such as waterways, railway infrastructure, and social infrastructure like educational and medical institutions.