On 13 March 2020 , the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution notified masks (2 ply & 3 ply surgical masks, N95 masks) & hand sanitizers as essential commodities under the Essential Commodities Act, 1955 ( Act ) up to 30 June 2020. Under the Act, if the Central Government deems fit, it may, in the interest of public, notify certain commodities as ‘essential’ in order to control the production, supply and distribution of such commodities. The origins of this Act can be found in the Defence of India Act, 1939 (“ DOI Act ”) and the Defence of India Rules, 1939 (“ DOI Rules ”). The DOI Act and the DOI Rules conferred broad discretionary powers on the Government to regulate and prohibit the production, distribution, consumption, movement and disposal of goods notified by the Government and forbid the practice of controlling prices by withholding of goods from the market. The DOI Act and DOI Rules ceased to have force in 1946, but the need to have contr...