Section 25 of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940 deals with Reports of Government Analysts.
Bare Text
25. Reports of Government Analysts. —(1) The Government Analyst to whom a sample of any drug 1 [or cosmetic] has been submitted for test or analysis under sub-section (4) of section 23, shall deliver to the Inspector submitting it a signed report in triplicate in the prescribed form. (2) The Inspector on receipt thereof shall deliver one copy of the report to the person from whom the sample was taken 4[and another copy to the person, if any, whose name, address and other particulars have been disclosed under section 18A], and shall retain the third copy for use in any prosecution in respect of the sample. (3) Any document purporting to be a report signed by a Government Analyst under this Chapter shall be evidence of the facts stated therein , and such evidence shall be conclusive unless the person from whom the sample was taken 5[or the person whose name, address and other particulars have been disclosed under section 18A] has, within twenty-eight days of the receipt of a copy of the report, notified in writing the Inspector or the Court before which any proceedings in respect of the sample are pending that he intends to adduce evidence in controversion of the report. (4) Unless the sample has already been tested or analysed in the Central Drugs Laboratory, where a person has under sub-section (3) notified his intention of adducing evidence in controversion of a Government Analyst’s report, the Court may, of its own motion or in its discretion at the request either of the complainant or the accused cause the sample of the drug [or cosmetic] produced before the Magistrate under sub-section (4) of section 23 to be sent for test or analysis to the said Laboratory, which shall make the test or analysis and report in writing signed by or under the authority of, the Director of the Ce ntral Drugs Laboratory the result thereof, and such report shall be conclusive evidence of the facts stated therein. (5) The cost of a test or analysis made by the Central Drugs Laboratory under sub-section (4) shall be paid by the complainant or accused as the Court shall direct .
Simple Meaning
Section 25 deals with reports of Government Analysts. It requires the Government Analyst to deliver a signed report in the prescribed form, provides for delivery of copies, and gives legal evidentiary value to the report, subject to the statutory right to challenge within the prescribed time.
Compliance Relevance
This section is extremely important in sample-failure cases. The Government Analyst report is often the foundation for prosecution or regulatory action. Manufacturers and other concerned persons must carefully track receipt of the report and the statutory time limit for contesting it and seeking further analysis.
Related Provisions
Section 16, Section 18, Section 22, Section 23, Section 27
Official Source
Verified from the official India Code PDF of the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940. Readers should re-check the latest official text before professional reliance.