Why in the News?
The 79th Foundation Day of the Bureau of Indian Standards was celebrated, where the Union Minister highlighted BIS’s transition from a regulatory role to a facilitative and enabling institution, aligned with ease of doing business and promotion of a quality culture.
Bureau of Indian Standards
- India’s National Standards Body
- Responsible for standardisation, certification, hallmarking, and quality assurance
- Protects consumer interests and enhances global competitiveness of Indian products
Establishment and Legal Framework
- Established in 1987
- Came into force on 1 April 1987
- Governed by the BIS Act, 2016
- Headquarters at New Delhi
Historical Evolution
- 1947 Indian Standards Institution established
- 1952 to 1956 ISI Certification Marks Scheme launched
- 1987 ISI transformed into BIS with expanded mandate
- 2016 BIS Act strengthened consumer participation and international alignment
Significance
- Strengthens quality infrastructure in India
- Supports Make in India and export competitiveness
- Promotes consumer safety and trust
- Aligns Indian standards with global best practices
Prelims Pointers
- BIS is India’s national standards authority
- ISI mark originated before BIS
- BIS Act 2016 expanded consumer role
- Hallmarking is mandatory for precious metals
- Digital standardisation is a recent reform focus
| [2017] Consider the following statements:
1. The Standard Mark of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes 2. AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) Which of the statements given above is/are correct? (a) 1 only (b) 2 only (c) Both 1 and 2 (d) Neither 1 nor 2 |
