Lok Sabha Question No. 5810 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2018-04-03
Subject: Hallmarking Centres
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: MOHANBHAI KALYANJIBHAI KUNDARIYA

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 5810

TO BE ANSWERED ON 03.04.2018

## HALLMARKING CENTRES

## 5810.  SHRI KUNDARIYA MOHAN BHAI KALYANJI BHAI:

## Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  made  Hallmarking  compulsory  for  all  gold  and  silver jewellery;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether adequate number of Hallmarking centres have been set up, if so, the details thereof, State-wise specially in Saurashtra region of Gujarat;
- (d) whether the facility in these centres would be available to consumers as well to test their jewellery; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof and the steps taken to create public awareness in this regard?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh lh- vkj- pkS/kjh½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI C. R. CHAUDHARY)

- (a)  &  (b)  :    The  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  Act,  2016  has  enabling  provisions  for  making hallmarking of precious metal articles mandatory by the Central Government.
- (c) :      The  setting  up  of  Assaying  &  Hallmarking  (A&H)Centre is a market driven activity depending upon the commercial viability as assessed by the entrepreneur.

The  details  of  Hallmarking  centers,  state  wise  is  at Annexure. In  Saurashtra,  Gujarat there are 20 A&H Centres.

- (d)  &  (e)  :    Yes,  Madam.  Any  person  can  get  their  jewellery  tested  from  any  BIS  recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centre after paying the due charges.

Bureau of Indian Standards organizes regular Awareness Programmes through its various Regional  Offices/Branch  Offices.  Many  of  these  awareness  programmes  are  conducted  in association with Consumer  Organizations. These programmes  focus  on enhancing quality conciousness of consumers by highlighting issues of Standardization, promotion of BIS Standard Mark, Hallmarking of Gold & Silver and educating them on the misuse of BIS Standard Mark & Complaint  Redressal  System  for  products  with  BIS  Standard  Mark.  Consumer  Awareness Programmes carried out in the last three years and current year are as under:

| Year                    |   Consumer Awareness Programmes |
|-------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2014-15                 |                             292 |
| 2015-16                 |                             166 |
| 2016-17                 |                             163 |
| 2017-18 (upto Feb 2018) |                             189 |

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## STATEMENT  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (c)  OF  LOK  SABHA  UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.5810 FOR 03.04.2018 REGARDING HALLMARKING CENTRES.

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The state wise distribution of the BIS recognized Assaying & Hallmarking Centres as on 25 Feb 2018:

| Sl no.   | Name of State/UT   |   No. of Assaying &Hallmarking Centres |
|----------|--------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh     |                                     31 |
| 2.       | Assam              |                                     02 |
| 3.       | Bihar              |                                     10 |
| 4.       | Chandigarh         |                                     02 |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh       |                                     05 |
| 6.       | Delhi              |                                     39 |
| 7.       | Gujarat            |                                     63 |
| 8.       | Goa                |                                     01 |
| 9.       | Haryana            |                                     14 |
| 10.      | Himachal Pradesh   |                                     01 |
| 11.      | Jammu &Kashmir     |                                     03 |
| 12.      | Jharkhand          |                                     04 |
| 13.      | Karnataka          |                                     37 |
| 14.      | Kerala             |                                     53 |
| 15.      | Madhya Pradesh     |                                     13 |
| 16.      | Maharashtra        |                                     94 |
| 17.      | Odisha             |                                     10 |
| 18.      | Puducherry         |                                     01 |
| 19.      | Punjab             |                                     18 |
| 20.      | Rajasthan          |                                     27 |
| 21.      | Tamil Nadu         |                                     65 |
| 22.      | Telangana          |                                     14 |
| 23.      | Tripura            |                                     01 |
| 24.      | Uttar Pradesh      |                                     33 |
| 25.      | Uttrakhand         |                                     01 |
| 26.      | West Bengal        |                                     50 |
|          | TOTAL              |                                    592 |

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