Lok Sabha Question No. 182 (STARRED), answered on 2016-11-29
Subject: Hallmarking of Jewellery
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: GAJANAN CHANDRAKANT KIRTIKAR, VIJAY KUMAR S.R.

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Government of India Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

STARRED QUESTION NO. *182

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2016

## HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY

## *182.  SHRI GAJANAN KIRTIKAR:

## SHRI S.R. VIJAYAKUMAR:

## 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  is  aware  that  inferior  quality  jewellery  are  being  sold  by jewellers in various parts of the country and if so, the details thereof;

- (b) whether the Bureau of Indian Standards has directed all the jewellers to comply with the hallmarking of jewellery and if so, the details thereof;

- (c) the total number of hallmarking centres in the country, State/UT-wise;

- (d) whether there is adequate number of hallmarking centres in the country and  if so, the details  thereof  and  if  not,  the  reasons  therefor  and  the  corrective  measures  taken/being taken by the Government in this regard; and

- (e) the  other  steps  taken/being  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  consumers  from inferior quality of jewellery?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k ea=h ¼Jh jke foykl ikloku½

THE MINISTER OF CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI RAM VILAS PASWAN)

(a) to (e) :

A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (e) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*182 FOR 29.11.2016 REGARDING HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY.

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- (a) :  Yes, Madam.  Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) had conducted two market surveys in the year 2001 & 2006 of non-hallmarked jewellery being sold by the jewellers across the country.

Details of the same are given below:

| Particulars                | 2001 (120 samples in 8 cities)   | 2006 (162 samples in 16 cities)   |
|----------------------------|----------------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| Samples failing            | 89%                              | 90%                               |
| Average shortage in purity | 11%                              | 13.5%                             |
| Highest purity shortage    | 38.6%                            | 44.6%                             |

- (b) : Presently the Hallmarking of gold and silver jewellery is voluntary.
- (c) : As on 25 th Oct 2016 there were 409 BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (A & H Centre) in the country. The State/UT wise list of Assaying & Hallmarking (A & H) Centre is at Annexure.
- (d) : The setting up of  A&H Centre is  a market driven activity  depending upon the commercial viability as assessed by the entrepreneurs. To  provide  impetus  to  the hallmarking  activity, Government provides financial assistance to the A & H Centre in deficient locations of the country which do not have an A & H Centre.
- (e): To protect the consumer interest with respect to the purity of hallmarked jewellery, surveillance audit  is  carried  out  of  the  A  &  H  Centre.  Besides,  market  sample  are  drawn  from  the  licensed jewellers  to  ensure  compliance  to  relevant  Standards.  Further,  in  the  BIS  Act,  2016  enabling provisions have been made to make hallmarking of precious metal articles mandatory.

*******

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*182 FOR 29.11.2016 REGARDING HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY.

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The state wise distribution of the BIS recognized Assaying & Hallmarking Centres as on 25 th October 2016:

| Sl No.   | Name of State/UT   |   No. of Assaying &Hallmarking Centres |
|----------|--------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1.       | Andhra Pradesh     |                                     22 |
| 2.       | Assam              |                                     02 |
| 3.       | Bihar              |                                     03 |
| 4.       | Chandigarh         |                                     03 |
| 5.       | Chhattisgarh       |                                     01 |
| 6.       | Delhi              |                                     32 |
| 7.       | Gujarat            |                                     48 |
| 8.       | Haryana            |                                     08 |
| 9.       | Jammu &Kashmir     |                                     02 |
| 10.      | Jharkhand          |                                     03 |
| 11.      | Karnataka          |                                     27 |
| 12.      | Kerala             |                                     45 |
| 13.      | Madhya Pradesh     |                                     07 |
| 14.      | Maharashtra        |                                     59 |
| 15.      | Odisha             |                                     06 |
| 16.      | Puducherry         |                                     01 |
| 17.      | Punjab             |                                     13 |
| 18.      | Rajasthan          |                                     18 |
| 19.      | Tamil Nadu         |                                     54 |
| 20.      | Telangana          |                                     10 |
| 21.      | Tripura            |                                     01 |
| 22.      | Uttar Pradesh      |                                     16 |
| 23.      | West Bengal        |                                     28 |
|          | TOTAL              |                                    409 |

*****