Introduction of the Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015

The Union Cabinet chaired by the Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi, today gave its approval to introduce a new Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015. The new Bill will provide legislative framework for following new provisions other than the provisions in the existing Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986 which is proposed to be repealed:

The main objectives of the proposed legislation are:-

i. to establish the Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India;

ii. The Bureau to perform its functions through a Governing Council, which will consist of its President and other members;

iii. to include goods, services and systems, besides articles and processes under the standardization regime;

iv. To 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. This will help consumers receive ISI certified products and will also help in prevention of import of sub-standard products;

v. to allow multiple types of simplified conformity assessment schemes including Self Declaration Of Conformity (SDOC) against any standard which will give multiple simplified options to manufacturers to adhere to standards and get a certificate of conformity, thus improving the "ease of doing business";

vi. to enable the Central Government to appoint any authority, in addition to the Bureau of Indian Standards, to verify the conformity of products and services to a standard and issue certificate of conformity;

vii. to enable the Government to implement mandatory hallmarking of precious metal articles;

viii. to strengthen penal provisions for better and effective compliance and enable compounding of offences for violations;

ix. to provide recall, including product liability of products bearing the Standard Mark, but not conforming to relevant Indian Standards; and

x. Repeal of the BIS Act, 1986.

Consequential amendments will be made subsequently in the rules and regulations to ensure implementation of the new Bill.

The proposed provisions in the new Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015 will empower the Central Government and the Bureau of Indian Standards to promote a culture of quality of products and services through mandatory/voluntary compliance with Indian standards through the process of 'product certification' and 'Certificate of Conformity' with a broad objective of consumer's welfare. It is also expected to improve enforcement of Indian standards.

The proposed provisions will also promote harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and services, to provide 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.

AKT/NT/SBP