Lok Sabha Question No. 1698 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-07-02
Subject: Hallmarking of Jewellery
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: Balak Nath

## Government of India

## Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1698

TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.07.2019

## HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY

1698.  SHRI BALAK NATH:

## 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 the jewellery of gold and silver and if so, the details thereof;
- (b) whether adequate number of Hallmarking centres have been set up, if so, the details thereof, State-wise including Rajasthan;
- (c) whether the facility of these centres would be available to consumers as well to test their jewellery; and
- (d) 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 nkuos jkolkgsc nknkjko½

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

- (a)  : The  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  Act,  2016  has  enabling  provisions  for  making hallmarking of precious metal articles mandatory by the Central Government.
- (b) : The setting up of Assaying & Hallmarking (A&H) Centre is a market driven activity depending upon the commercial viability as assessed by the entrepreneur. At present the total number of A&H centres is 830.

The details of Hallmarking centres, State-wise is at Annexure. In  Rajasthan  there are 40 A&H centres.

- (c) & (d) : Yes, Sir. Any person can get their jewellery tested from any Bureau of Indian Standards (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 Programme carried out in the last three years and current year is as under:

| Year                    |   Consumer Awareness Programmes |
|-------------------------|---------------------------------|
| 2016-17                 |                             166 |
| 2017-18                 |                             208 |
| 2018-19                 |                             182 |
| 2019-20 (upto May 2019) |                              10 |

*******

## ANNEXURE

## ANNEXURE REFERRED IN REPLY TO PART (b) OF LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.1698 FOR 02.07.2019 REGARDING HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY.

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The State wise distribution of the BIS recognized Assaying & Hallmarking Centres as on 24 June 2019:

| S.No.   | Name of State/UT   |   No. of Assaying &Hallmarking Centres |
|---------|--------------------|----------------------------------------|
| 1.      | Andhra Pradesh     |                                     40 |
| 2.      | Assam              |                                     05 |
| 3.      | Bihar              |                                     24 |
| 4.      | Chandigarh         |                                     03 |
| 5.      | Chhattisgarh       |                                     06 |
| 6.      | Delhi              |                                     40 |
| 7.      | Gujarat            |                                     75 |
| 8.      | Goa                |                                     02 |
| 9.      | Haryana            |                                     20 |
| 10.     | Himachal Pradesh   |                                     01 |
| 11.     | Jammu &Kashmir     |                                     03 |
| 12.     | Jharkhand          |                                     08 |
| 13.     | Karnataka          |                                     49 |
| 14.     | Kerala             |                                     66 |
| 15.     | Madhya Pradesh     |                                     15 |
| 16.     | Maharashtra        |                                    120 |
| 17.     | Odisha             |                                     18 |
| 18.     | Puducherry         |                                     02 |
| 19.     | Punjab             |                                     21 |
| 20.     | Rajasthan          |                                     40 |
| 21.     | Tamil Nadu         |                                     89 |
| 22.     | Telangana          |                                     24 |
| 23.     | Tripura            |                                     01 |
| 24.     | Uttar Pradesh      |                                     63 |
| 25.     | Uttrakhand         |                                     01 |
| 26.     | West Bengal        |                                     94 |
|         | TOTAL              |                                    830 |