New BIS Bill has wider ambit

It will bring in more products under the standards regime and end 'inspector raj'

The Cabinet on Wednesday approved a modified version of the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) Bill to replace the 1986 Act.

This would bring in more products under the standards regime and end "inspector raj". The Bill would also bring services and processes under its ambit for the first time.

"The Cabinet today approved a new Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015," an official statement said. To ensure quality products to consumers, the new Bill has proposed to bring in more items under the mandatory system from the current 92.

At present, only products and systems come under the ambit of standards. The Bill has proposed to "include services, besides articles and processes, under the standardisation regime," the statement said. "It will also enable the government to bring under the mandatory certification regime such article, process or service which it considers necessary from the point of view of health, safety, environment, prevention of deceptive practices, security, etc."
 

The mandatory certification would help consumers receive ISI certified products and would also help prevent import of sub-standard products, it added.

Besides, the Bill has provided for compulsory hallmarking of precious-metal articles, widening the scope of conformity assessment, enhancing penalties, making offences compoundable and simplifying certain provisions in the Act.

To improve "ease of doing business", the Bill has proposed 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 has proposed recall of the products even if these were ISI marked, but not conforming to relevant Indian standards.

The new Bill has also envisaged setting up a Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India, to perform its functions through a governing council consisting of a president and members.