Lok Sabha Question No. 3662 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-16
Subject: Implementation of BIS Act, 2016
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Magunta Sreenivasulu Reddy

## Government of India Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution

## Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3662

TO BE ANSWERED ON 16.07.2019

## IMPLEMENTATION OF BIS ACT, 2016

## 3662.  SHRI MAGUNTA SREENIVASULU REDDY:

## 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 reviewed the activities of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) the new initiatives of the Government on the Effective Implementation of the provisions of new BIS Act, 2016;
- (c) whether the Government has reviewed the issues related to improvement in core activities of BIS and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the  details  of  the  core  activities  and  objectives  of  setting  up  of  BIS  and  the  new  thrust  areas identified by BIS; and
- (e) the physical and financial achievements of product certification scheme of BIS?

## ANSWER

## miHkksDrk ekeys] [kk| vkSj lkoZtfud forj.k jkT; ea=h ¼Jh nkuos jkolkgsc nknkjko½

## THE MINISTER OF STATE CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION (SHRI DANVE RAOSAHEB DADARAO)

(a)  :     Yes Sir. Review of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) activities by the Department of Consumer Affairs is a continuous process and such reviews are carried out through Review Meetings, Management Control Report (MCR) etc.  From time to time directions are issued to BIS by the Department to achieve targets related to core activities and to take action for improvement in the areas where such improvement is required.

- (b)  : Some of the important initiatives taken for effective implementation of the BIS Act, 2016 are :
- (i) Notification  of  new  BIS  (Hallmarking)  Regulations,  2018  under  the  Act.  The  Central Government has also notified 'Gold jewellery and gold artefacts' and 'Silver jewellery and silver artefacts' to be marked with Hallmark.
- (ii) The BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018 has been notified under the Act. The Regulations  provide  for  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 the standards and get certificate of conformity, thus improving the 'ease of doing business'.
- (iii) Penal provisions for better and effective compliance and to enable compounding of offences for violations have been made stringent under new regulation.
- (iv) Guideline for procedure to be followed by the line Ministries for making the use of a mark under licence or certificate of conformity compulsory, and also procedure for approving and authorizing  any  other  agency,  for  carrying  out  conformity  assessment  activities  under Section 16(1) of BIS Act 2016.

(c)  : On the  basis  of  reviews  improvement  in  core  activities  of  BIS  such  as  Standards  Formulation, Certification, Hallmarking, Laboratory Testing, Consumer Affairs and International Cooperation etc. are undertaken.  Government  has  laid  emphasis  on  easy  redressal  mechanism  of  complaints,  mandatory certification, enhancing consumer confidence through publicity and various other interactive measures.

(d)  : BIS has been established as the National Standards Body of India under the BIS Act, 2016. The main objectives of BIS is harmonious development of activities of Standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods. The standards and certification scheme of BIS apart from benefitting the consumers and  industry  also  support  various  public  policies  especially  in  areas  of  product  safety,  consumer protection, food safety, environment protection, building and construction, etc. New thrust areas identified in  standardization  are  (i)  Alternate  fuels,  (ii)  E-mobility,  (iii)  Medical  Devices,  (iv)  Smart  Cities,  (v) Digital  Technologies  (e.g.  Industry  4.0,  Artificial  Intelligence,  Block  Chain  etc.)  and  (vi)  New  and Renewable energy.

(e)  : During the year 2018-19, 4218(4082-Domestic + 136-Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme) new Licences were granted and 20 new products were brought into the fold of product certification activity. The income for the production certification activity during 2018-19 is Rs.554.10 Crores.

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