Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its Functions, Structure and Composition

PWOnlyIAS January 03, 2024 04:42 7282 0

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the body for setting National Standards in India and works under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its Functions, Structure and Composition

Provision: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the body for setting National Standards in India and works under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its Origin

  • Setting Up: Set up under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, it came into effect on 12 October 2017. The Act was originally enacted in 1986.
  • The BIS was formerly called the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.
  • BIS Full Form: Bureau of Indian Standards 

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its Structure and Composition

  • Composition: The BIS consists of 25 members drawn from Central or State Governments, industry, scientific and research institutions, and consumer groups.
    • The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is the ex-officio President of the BIS.
  • Headquarters: The Headquarters of BIS is located in New Delhi, with regional offices at Kolkata, Chennai, Mumbai, Chandigarh, and Delhi.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its Functions 

  • Representation on International Forum: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) represents India in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), and the World Standards Service Network (WSSN).
  • Formulating and Promoting Standards: The BIS performs the major role of formulation, recognition, and promotion of the Indian Standards.
    • This helps industries to upgrade the quality of their products and services.
  • Certifying Products: The BIS is involved in assessing and verifying that a product meets specific standards, specifications, or regulatory requirements.
  • BIS Standards for Foreign Manufacturers: Foreign manufacturers can seek certification from BIS for marking their product(s) with the BIS Standard Mark through the Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme.
  • Standards for Importers: Indian importers have to apply for a Certification Mark for their products to be sold in Indian markets.
  • Fine for Violation: The BIS also takes action against firms whose products do not meet Indian standards.
  • Consumer Awareness: The BIS carries out Consumer Awareness Programs to educate consumers about the quality standards of ISI-marked items, as well as their misuse.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its Significance 

  • Boost Customer Confidence: Customer confidence will be boosted when they know that the product they are purchasing meets established criteria and has been independently tested and evaluated.
  • Ensuring Health Standards: Products concerned with health and safety are compulsorily certified to ensure the safety of consumers.
  • Consumer Redressal: The BIS has a provision for customers to report the degraded quality of any certified product at the Grievance Cell.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its New Initiatives

  • Curbing Fake Reviews: To curb fake reviews, the Bureau of Indian Standards has come out with a new standard for organizations, like e-commerce players, travel portals, and food delivery platforms.
    • The violation of the standards set up by BIS by any entity may be considered an unfair trade practice or violation of consumer rights and a consumer may approach the National Consumer Helpline.
  • Learning Science via Standards: It is an initiative to bridge the gap between theory and real-life use of science education.
    • Scientific concepts, principles, and laws will be used to help students understand practical applications of standards in manufacturing, functioning, and testing of quality.
  • Promoting Indian standards at the grassroots level: The initiative aims to promote the importance of adhering to Indian Standards among Gram Panchayats and ensuring compliance with these standards.
    • Through this initiative, it will help in promoting the culture of standardization and the benefits of using products conforming to Indian Standards among Gram Panchayats.
  • Standards Clubs: They are established in schools to sensitize young members of society about the importance of standards in improving quality of life.
    • Designed to provide young talents with insights into the world of quality and standardization, these clubs carry out a wide range of activities and the financial assistance to organize these activities is provided by BIS. 

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): Its Criticism 

  • Lack of Manpower: There is a shortage of manpower in BIS to implement standards in the country effectively.
  • Creating Awareness among Producers and Consumers: The BIS is still lagging when it comes to promoting standards among producers and consumers.

Conclusion:

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) must bring a quality or standard revolution through ‘One Nation One Standard’, to provide safe, reliable, and high-quality products to consumers.

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Bureau of Indian Standards FAQs

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the body for setting National Standards in India and works under the Union Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.

BIS was set up under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016, and came into effect on 12 October 2017. The Act was originally enacted in 1986. The BIS was formerly called the Indian Standards Institution (ISI).

The BIS consists of 25 members drawn from Central or State Governments, industry, scientific and research institutions, and consumer groups. The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is the ex-officio President of the BIS.

The BIS performs the major role of formulation, recognition, and promotion of the Indian Standards. The BIS is involved in assessing and verifying that a product meets specific standards, specifications, or regulatory requirements. The BIS also takes action against firms whose products do not meet Indian standards.

To curb fake reviews, BIS has come out with a new standard for organizations, like e-commerce players, travel portals, and food delivery platforms. BIS has launched an initiative to promote the importance of adhering to Indian Standards among Gram Panchayats and ensuring compliance to these standards. Standards Clubs have been established in schools to sensitize young members of society about the importance of standards in improving quality of life.
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