The Bureau of Indian Standards has taken positive steps towards giving impetus to ‘Make In India’ campaign of the Govt of India by proposing changes in the BIS Act, 1986. The need for amendment to BIS Act, 1986 accrued from situations demanding BIS to keep pace with the changing requirements of the industry.
The BIS Act has never been amended since its enactment in 1986. Due to certain limitations and difficulties being faced in implementation and ambiguity of the provisions, amendment to the BIS Act, 1986, have become necessary. Particularly with regard to the status of the bureau as the National Standards Body of India, covering various ways of conformity assessment and hallmarking, provision of re-calling the non-conforming products bearing the Standard Mark and enhancing the limit of financial penalty. These include compounding/composition in the penal provision to reduce the long process of litigation and to provide the powers of compulsory certification and enforcing authority to the Bureau.
The stakeholders’ meet on the subject was held at BIS recently, presided over by Ram Vilas Paswan, Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution. Keshav Desiraju, IAS, Department of Consumer Affairs, was also present.