Lok Sabha Question No. 2 (STARRED), answered on 2018-12-11
Subject: Hallmarking of Jewellery
Ministry: CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
Asked by: SUMEDHANAND SARASWATI, SANTOSH AHLAWAT

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

## Department of Consumer Affairs

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. *2

TO BE ANSWERED ON 11.12.2018

## HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY

- *2. SHRI SUMEDHANAND SARSWATI: SHRIMATI SANTOSH AHLAWAT:

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 it is  a  fact  that  the  Government  is  planning  to  make  hallmarking  mandatory  for gold jewellery sold in the country and if so, the details thereof along with the likely date of implementation of the same;
- (b) the  number  of  Bureau  of  Indian  Standards  (BIS)-recognised  assaying  and  hallmarking centres presently in the country, State and UT-wise; and
- (c) whether the Government is working on increasing the number of BIS- recognised assaying and hallmarking centres in the country, if so, the number of centres which are going to be opened in Rajasthan?

## 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 (c) : A Statement is laid on the Table of the House.

*****

## STATEMENT REFERRED IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.*2 FOR 11.12.2018 REGARDING HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY.

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(a)  : The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Act 2016 was notified on 22 nd March, 2016 and it came into force w.e.f. 12 th October, 2017. BIS (Hallmarking) Regulations, 2018 framed under the BIS Act, 2016  have  been  notified  vide  official  gazette  dated  14 th June,  2018.    Gold  and  Silver  jewellery  and artefacts have been notified as the precious metal articles to be marked with 'Hallmark' under the BIS Act.

The BIS Act, 2016 has enabling provisions for making hallmarking of precious metal articles mandatory by the Central Government. However, Central Government is yet to take a decision in the matter.

(b)  : The  State  and  UT-wise  number  of  BIS-recognized  Assaying  and  Hallmarking  centres  is  at Annexure.

(c)  : The setting up of an Assaying and Hallmarking centre is a market driven activity where decision to open an Assaying and Hallmarking centre is taken by the private entrepreneur depending upon the commercial viability as assessed by the entrepreneur at that location.

BIS is also implementing a scheme namely Setting up of Gold Hallmarking/Assaying Centres in India  with  central  assistance  for  places  where  no  such  centre  is  available.  The  main  purpose  of  this scheme is to create infrastructure facilities in terms of Assaying and Hallmarking centres and Capacity building  by  Training  of  artisans,  Training  of  Trainers  (BIS  auditors)  and  Training  of  personnel  of Assaying and Hallmarking centres.

At present, 37 Assaying and Hallmarking centres have been recognized by BIS in the State of Rajasthan and one more centre is going to be opened in Jaipur, Rajasthan.

## ANNEXURE  REFERRED  IN  REPLY  TO  PART  (b)  OF  LOK  SABHA  STARRED QUESTION NO.*2 FOR 11.12.2018 REGARDING HALLMARKING OF JEWELLERY.

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## The State and UT - wise number of the BIS-recognized Assaying and Hallmarking centres as on 25 Oct 2018:

| Sr. No.   | State/UT                 |   No. of Assaying and Hallmarking centres |
|-----------|--------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1.        | Andhra Pradesh           |                                        40 |
| 2.        | Arunachal Pradesh        |                                         0 |
| 3.        | Assam                    |                                         2 |
| 4.        | Bihar                    |                                        18 |
| 5.        | Chhattisgarh             |                                         6 |
| 6.        | Goa                      |                                         2 |
| 7.        | Gujarat                  |                                        75 |
| 8.        | Haryana                  |                                        16 |
| 9.        | Himachal Pradesh         |                                         1 |
| 10.       | Jammu and Kashmir        |                                         3 |
| 11.       | Jharkhand                |                                         6 |
| 12.       | Karnataka                |                                        41 |
| 13.       | Kerala                   |                                        60 |
| 14.       | Madhya Pradesh           |                                        14 |
| 15.       | Maharashtra              |                                       108 |
| 16.       | Manipur                  |                                         0 |
| 17.       | Meghalaya                |                                         0 |
| 18.       | Mizoram                  |                                         0 |
| 19.       | Nagaland                 |                                         0 |
| 20.       | Odisha                   |                                        16 |
| 21.       | Punjab                   |                                        17 |
| 22.       | Rajasthan                |                                        37 |
| 23.       | Sikkim                   |                                         0 |
| 24.       | TamilNadu                |                                        74 |
| 25.       | Telangana                |                                        21 |
| 26.       | Tripura                  |                                         1 |
| 27.       | Uttar Pradesh            |                                        45 |
| 28.       | Uttarakhand              |                                         1 |
| 29.       | West Bengal              |                                        73 |
| 30.       | Andaman &Nicobar Islands |                                         0 |
| 31.       | Chandigarh               |                                         3 |
| 32.       | Delhi                    |                                        39 |
| 33.       | Dadra &Nagar Haveli      |                                         0 |
| 34.       | Daman &Diu               |                                         0 |
| 35.       | Puducherry               |                                         2 |
| 36.       | Lakshadweep              |                                         0 |
|           | Total                    |                                       721 |