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 The Act was originally enacted in 1986.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.