(a) whether the Government is aware that many indigenous and foreign made toys contain
hazardous contents including phthalates;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the details of the steps taken by the Government to regulate the manufacturing and
import of toys and address the issue of hazardous contents therein?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR MICRO,SMALL AND MEDIUM ENTERPRISES
(SHRI DINSHA PATEL)
(a) to (c) The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has brought out IS 9873 (Part 1)–Safety aspects
related to Mechanical and Physical properties, IS 9873(part 2) – Safety requirements for
toys–Flammability Test and IS 9873 (part 3) – Safety of Toys – Migration of certain elements
for checking the quality of Toy products manufactured in the country. However, these standards
are not mandatory for the toy manufacturing enterprises. Toys could not be brought under the
licence scheme of the Bureau of Indian Standards since they are not listed in Schedule I of the
Industries Development and Regulation (IDR) Act 1951. The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food
and Public Distribution has, however, now notified a new conformity assessment scheme (referred
as Registration Scheme) within the existing Bureau of Indian Standards Act by amendments to the
BIS Rules. This scheme provides, inter-alia, for compulsory registration and self-declaration
of conformance to the relevant Indian standards by manufacturers of any article notified by the
Government. The Government is examining to bring toy products under the purview of this
scheme to address the issue of safety and hazardous content of indigenous and foreign made
toys.