Focus: GS II- Governance, Facts for prelims
Why in News?
On the occasion World Standards Day, Bureau of Indian Standards, Mumbai organized a Standards Conclave –“Manak Mahotsav” based on the theme ‘Standards for Sustainable Development Goals – A Shared Vision for a Better World’.
About BIS
- The Bureau of Indian Standards is the national Standards Body of India working under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India.
- It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which came into effect on 23 December 1986.
- The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is the ex-officio President of the BIS.
- The BIS Act, 1986 provides for the establishment of a Bureau for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for connected matters.
- BIS has its Headquarters at New Delhi.
- The Vision of BIS is to be the leader in all matters concerning Standardization, Certification and Quality.
- BIS thereby plays a very important role in the economic development of the country.
- BIS also operates Certification Schemes that assure quality, safety and reliability to the users.
- The BIS Product Certification Scheme is one of the largest in the world .
- BIS gives utmost thrust for safeguarding and protecting consumer interest.
- BIS has well laid down mechanisms and procedures to address public grievances related to consumer complaints against BIS services and ISI marked products.
Statutory Framework of BIS
- The Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, has been implemented since 12 October 2017.
- The highlights of the new BIS Act are as follows;-
- Allows multiple conformity assessment schemes in line with global practices.
- Enables the Government to authorize any agency apart from BIS to certify and enforce conformity to a standard.
- Enables the Government to include products under mandatory certification on grounds of health, safety, environment, national security and prevention of deceptive practices.
- Enables the Government to bring Hallmarking of precious metal articles under mandatory certification.
- Provides consumer protection measures like recall of non-conforming standard marked products, compensation to the consumer and more stringent penal provisions.
