(a) whether National Accreditation Board for Laboratories functions under this Ministry;
(b) if so, the role and functions alongwith the organisational set up thereof;
(c) whether the officers/employees working in the said Board are in permanent service of the Government and the details of facilities provided to them; and
(d) if not, the time by when they are likely to be made permanent?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT(SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)
a) The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) functions under the aegis of Ministry of Science and Technology.
b) The major objectives for which NABL is set up and which describe the role and functions of NABL are as under:
i. To promote, coordinate, guide, implement and maintain an accreditation system for laboratories suitable for the country in accordance with the relevant national and international standards and guides.
ii. To ensure that all measurements either during calibration or testing by accredited laboratories are related to appropriate national/international standards maintained at National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) through an unbroken chain of comparisons.
iii. To encourage Proficiency Tests/Inter-laboratory Comparisons in order to ensure accuracy, reliability and reproducibility of test results.
iv. To oversee the quality requirements of Testing and Calibration Laboratories as per National and International Standards and to facilitate upgradation of testing and calibration facilities and laboratories.
v. To help to establish credibility of the Testing and Calibration Laboratories to their users through the process of accreditation.
vi. To organise Awareness Programmes on all aspects of laboratory accreditation for the laboratories by various means including seminars, workshops and laboratory-industry-accreditation body meets etc.
vii. To prepare and maintain a data base of Assessors and Experts in different disciplines of Calibration and Testing.
viii. To maintain close linkage with industries/chambers of commerce/institutions and laboratories dealing with testing related to the environment as per national and international guidelines.
ix. To undertake appropriate training programmes for the purpose of laboratory accreditation, testing, calibration and related activities as per requirements of national and international guidelines.
x. To undertake special studies related to testing and calibration e.g. proficiency testing, uncertainty of measurements.
xi. To establish and maintain strong linkages with international and regional fora such as International Laboratory Accreditation Conference (hitherto referred to as ILAC), European Accreditation Cooperation for Laboratories (hitherto referred to as EAL), Asia Pacific Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (hitherto referred to as APLAC) etc. and to take active participation in Plenary Sessions, Committee Meetings etc. in order to keep pace with the latest developments and for promoting Bi-lateral/Multi-lateral Recognition Agreements.
xii. To raise or acquire funds, monetary assistance or property from Central Government and State Government(s), and other agencies including international organisations and non-government organisations or by taking loans from financial institutions. The funds, assets and all other resources in present and future shall be utilized only for the purposes or objects of NABL.
xiii. To invest funds or money entrusted to NABL upon such securities or in such manner as may, from time to time, be determined by the governing body.
xiv. To encourage industrial/applied research and development in the field of quality in laboratory services and dissemination of its results in relevant publications including professional and trade journals.
xv. To plan, prepare develop and disseminate Certified Reference Materials for enhancement in quality and accuracy etc. of Testing, Calibration, Research and Development of laboratories / projects.
xvi. To do all such other lawful things as are incidental or conducive to attainment of all or any of the objectives of NABL
The schematic presentation of organisation chart of NABL is as given under:
ORGANISATION CHART
c) NABL is a Society registered under the Societies Registration Act 1860 in August 1998. The officers / employees working in NABL are employees of the Society. They are provided all necessary facilities towards execution of their duties. In addition to salary, they are provided other benefits like travel allowance and medical reimbursement as per government guidelines.
d) NABL provides third party voluntary accreditation service to testing and calibration laboratories. The accreditation process is driven by the demand for accreditation by the laboratories. The demand as well as the mix of laboratories is expected to change from time to time and NABL is required to respond to these changes. In view of this, NABL officers / employees are hired by the Society on contract basis and this will continue in future.