Bill to enable govt to standardise more products passed in Par

Parliament today passed a bill to replace the 30 year-old Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act and bring more products like jewellery under the mandatory standard regime besides ending the 'Inspector Raj'.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) bill 2015 was passed unanimously by a voice vote in Rajya Sabha after two members withdrew amendments. The bill was passed by Lok Sabha in August last year.
"Our mandate is to protect consumers. So, we have broaden the ambit of the bill to ensure consumers get quality products, services, systems and processes," Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said in the Upper House while replying to the queries of the members on the bill.

Stating that the government does not want to bring in the "inspector raj", Paswan said the bill provides for not only to bring om more products and services under the mandatory standardisation, but also has provisions for taking stringent action against defaulters.
Paswan said that a committe will be set up to frame rules for the Act. "We will try and see if how we can incorporate members's suggestions. We are open to do that," he said.
Currently, 92 items are under mandatory standards and only products and systems come under the ambit of standards. The bill proposes to "include services, besides articles and processes under the standardisation regime."

The bill seeks to establish the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as a national body and empower the Centre to authorise any other agency having necessary accreditation for the purpose of conformity assessment against Indian standards.

The bill also provides for compulsory hallmarking of precious metal articles, widening the scope of conformity assessment, to enhance penalties, to make offences compoundable and to simplify certain provisions in the Act.
The bill proposes to allow multiple types of simplified conformity assessment schemes including self-certification and market surveillance instead of inspectors visiting factories, thereby ending the inspector raj on standards.
That apart, it also proposes recall of the products including with ISI marked, but not conforming to relevant Indian Standards.

The new bill aims to empower the Centre and BIS to promote a culture of quality of products and services through mandatory or voluntary compliance with Indian standards.