Bureau of Indian Standards

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Bureau of Indian Standards
Bureau of Indian Standards Logo.svg
Statutory body (Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986) overview
Formed23 December 1986;37 years ago (1986-12-23)
HeadquartersManak Bhawan, Old Delhi
Motto Sanskrit: मानकः पथप्रदर्शकः, romanized: Mānakaḥ Pathapradarśakaḥ)
Statutory body (Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986) executive
  • Pramod Kumar Tiwari, IAS, Director General [1]
Parent Statutory body (Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986) Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Website bis.gov.in

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the National Standards Body of India under Department of Consumer affairs, [2] Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India. [3] It is established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 which came into effect on 12 October 2017. [4] The Minister in charge of the Ministry or Department having administrative control of the BIS is the ex-officio President of the BIS. BIS has 500 plus scientific officers working as Certification Officers, Member secretaries of technical committees and lab OIC's. [5] [6]

Contents

The organisation was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and Supplies No. 1 Std.(4)/45, dated 3 September 1946. The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, 1860.

A new Bureau of Indian standards (BIS) Act 2016 which was notified on 22 March 2016, has been brought into force with effect from 12 October 2017. The Act establishes the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) as the National Standards Body of India.

As a National Standards Body, it has 25 members drawn from Central or State Governments, industry, scientific and research institutions, and consumer organisations. Its headquarters are in New Delhi, with regional offices in Eastern Region at Kolkata, southern Region at Chennai, Western Region at Mumbai, Northern Region at Chandigarh and Central Region at Delhi and 20 branch offices. It also works as WTO-TBT enquiry point for India. [7]

Regulatory framework

National Building Code of India, 2005

It is a comprehensive building code for regulating the building construction activities across the country which was first published in 1970. [8] Preliminary Draft Amendment No. 1 to NBC 2005 Part 11 "Approach to Sustainability" was put into circulation a preliminary draft amendment and BIS accepted the feedback from people till 15 March 2013. [9]

Indian Standards Bill, 2015

The Bill was passed on 8 March 2016 by the Rajya Sabha. [10] The new Bill will repeal the existing Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986. The main objectives of the legislation are:

Organisation

National Institute of Training for Standardization (NITS)

It is a training institute of BIS which is set up in 1995. It is functioning from Noida, Uttar Pradesh, India. [13]

The primary activities of NITS are:

Cells

Laboratories

To support the activities of product certification, BIS has a chain of 8 laboratories. These laboratories have established testing facilities for products of chemical, food, electrical and mechanical disciplines. Approximately, 25000 samples are being tested in the BIS laboratories every year. In certain cases where it is economically not feasible to develop test facilities in BIS laboratories and also for other reasons like overloading of samples, equipment being out of order, the services of outside approved laboratories are also being availed. Except for the two labs, all the other labs are NABL (National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories) accredited. It operates a laboratory recognition scheme also.

Small Scale Industry Facilitation Cell

SSI Facilitation Cell became operational since 26 May 1997. The aim of the Cell is to assist the small scale entrepreneurs who are backbone of the Indian industry. It has an incentive scheme to promote such units to get certified with ISI Mark.

Grievance Cell

If any customer reports about the degraded quality of any certified product at Grievance Cell, BIS HQs, BIS gives redressal to the customer.

Collaboration with international standards bodies

BIS is a founder member of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). It represents India in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the World Standards Service Network (WSSN).

Activities

Standard formulation and promotion

One of the major functions of the Bureau is the formulation, recognition and promotion of the Indian Standards. As on 1 January 2019, over 20,000 Standards have been formulated by BIS, are in force. These cover important segments of economy, which help the industry in upgrading the quality of their products and services.

BIS has identified 15 sectors which are important to Indian Industry. For formulation of Indian Standard, it has separate Division Council to oversee and supervise the work. The Standards are regularly reviewed and formulated in line with the technological development to maintain harmony with the International Standards.

Product Certification

Product certification is a process through which a third-party organization or certification body assesses and verifies that a product meets specific standards, specifications, or regulatory requirements. The primary purpose of product certification is to ensure that a product is safe, reliable, and compliant with the relevant quality and safety standards. It provides consumers with confidence that the product they are purchasing meets established criteria and has been independently tested and evaluated.

For Indian manufacturers

Product Certifications are to be obtained voluntarily. For, some of the products like Milk powder, Drinking Water, LPG Cylinders, etc., certification is mandatory. Because these products are concerned with health and safety. [14]

For foreign manufacturers

ISI-Mark-Logo Isi mark.svg
ISI-Mark-Logo
Compulsory Registratio Logo Logo Compulsory Registratio.svg
Compulsory Registratio Logo

Foreign manufacturers of products who intend to export to India also may obtain a BIS product certification license. For some products various Indian government ministries/departments/agencies makes its compulsory to have BIS certification. Towards this, BIS launched its Product Certification Scheme for overseas manufacturers in the year 2000, which is called Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme. Under the provisions of this scheme, foreign manufacturers can seek certification from BIS for marking their product(s) with BIS Standard Mark. The foreign manufacturer needs to appoint an Authorized Indian Representative who will be an Indian Resident to act as an agent between BIS and the manufacturer. Depending on the product, the manufacturer has to imprint one of two possible marks on the product label. The Standard Mark or the ISI Mark. The Standard Mark is compulsory for certain types of electronics and IT goods, whereas the ISI mark is mandatory for product categories such as cement, household electrical products, food products, steel materials, etc. The ISI mark is also used for several voluntary BIS certification product categories.[ citation needed ]

For Indian importers

Indian importers who intend to get Certification Mark may apply for the license. However, the assessment visit is paid to the original product manufacturer. [15]

Management System Certification

  • Quality Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 9001
  • Environmental Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 14001
  • Occupational Health and Safety Management System Certification Scheme IS 18001
  • Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Scheme IS 15000
  • Food Safety Management System Certification IS/ISO 22000
  • Service Quality Management System Certification Scheme IS 15700
  • Energy Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 50001
  • Medical Devices Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 13485
  • Social Accountability Management System Certification Scheme IS 16001
  • Integrated Management System Certification Scheme
  • Road Traffic Safety Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 39001
  • Ready Mixed Concrete Certification Scheme
  • Integrated Milk Certification Scheme
  • Adventure Tourism Safety Management System Certification Scheme IS/ISO 21101
  • Food Safety Auditing as per Food Safety and Standards (Food Safety Audit) Regulations, 2018

See also

Related Research Articles

Standardization or standardisation is the process of implementing and developing technical standards based on the consensus of different parties that include firms, users, interest groups, standards organizations and governments. Standardization can help maximize compatibility, interoperability, safety, repeatability, or quality. It can also facilitate a normalization of formerly custom processes.

The ISO 9000 family is a set of five quality management systems (QMS) standards by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) that help organizations ensure they meet customer and other stakeholder needs within statutory and regulatory requirements related to a product or service. ISO 9000 deals with the fundamentals of QMS, including the seven quality management principles that underlie the family of standards. ISO 9001 deals with the requirements that organizations wishing to meet the standard must fulfill. ISO 9002 is a model for quality assurance in production and installation. ISO 9003 for quality assurance in final inspection and test. ISO 9004 gives guidance on achieving sustained organizational success.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hazard analysis and critical control points</span> Systematic preventive approach to food safety

Hazard analysis and critical control points, or HACCP, is a systematic preventive approach to food safety from biological, chemical, and physical hazards in production processes that can cause the finished product to be unsafe and designs measures to reduce these risks to a safe level. In this manner, HACCP attempts to avoid hazards rather than attempting to inspect finished products for the effects of those hazards. The HACCP system can be used at all stages of a food chain, from food production and preparation processes including packaging, distribution, etc. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) require mandatory HACCP programs for juice and meat as an effective approach to food safety and protecting public health. Meat HACCP systems are regulated by the USDA, while seafood and juice are regulated by the FDA. All other food companies in the United States that are required to register with the FDA under the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, as well as firms outside the US that export food to the US, are transitioning to mandatory hazard analysis and risk-based preventive controls (HARPC) plans.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ecolabel</span> Labeling systems for food and consumer products

Ecolabels and Green Stickers are labeling systems for food and consumer products. The use of ecolabels is voluntary, whereas green stickers are mandated by law; for example, in North America major appliances and automobiles use Energy Star. They are a form of sustainability measurement directed at consumers, intended to make it easy to take environmental concerns into account when shopping. Some labels quantify pollution or energy consumption by way of index scores or units of measurement, while others assert compliance with a set of practices or minimum requirements for sustainability or reduction of harm to the environment. Many ecolabels are focused on minimising the negative ecological impacts of primary production or resource extraction in a given sector or commodity through a set of good practices that are captured in a sustainability standard. Through a verification process, usually referred to as "certification", a farm, forest, fishery, or mine can show that it complies with a standard and earn the right to sell its products as certified through the supply chain, often resulting in a consumer-facing ecolabel.

GOST refers to a set of international technical standards maintained by the Euro-Asian Council for Standardization, Metrology and Certification (EASC), a regional standards organization operating under the auspices of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Product certification</span> Performance and quality assurance

Product certification or product qualification is the process of certifying that a certain product has passed performance tests and quality assurance tests, and meets qualification criteria stipulated in contracts, regulations, or specifications.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISO 22000</span> Food safety standard

ISO 22000 is a food safety management system by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) which is outcome focused, providing requirements for any organization in the food industry with objective to help to improve overall performance in food safety. These standards are intended to ensure safety in the global food supply chain. The standards involve the overall guidelines for food safety management and also focuses on traceability in the feed and food chain.

ISO 13485Medical devices -- Quality management systems -- Requirements for regulatory purposes is a voluntary standard, published by International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for the first time in 1996, and contains a comprehensive quality management system for the design and manufacture of medical devices. The latest version of this standard supersedes earlier documents such as EN 46001 and EN 46002 (1996), the previously published ISO 13485, and ISO 13488.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Food safety</span> Scientific discipline

Food safety is used as a scientific method/discipline describing handling, preparation, and storage of food in ways that prevent foodborne illness. The occurrence of two or more cases of a similar illness resulting from the ingestion of a common food is known as a food-borne disease outbreak. This includes a number of routines that should be followed to avoid potential health hazards. In this way, food safety often overlaps with food defense to prevent harm to consumers. The tracks within this line of thought are safety between industry and the market and then between the market and the consumer. In considering industry-to-market practices, food safety considerations include the origins of food including the practices relating to food labeling, food hygiene, food additives and pesticide residues, as well as policies on biotechnology and food and guidelines for the management of governmental import and export inspection and certification systems for foods. In considering market-to-consumer practices, the usual thought is that food ought to be safe in the market and the concern is safe delivery and preparation of the food for the consumer. Food safety, nutrition and food security are closely related. Unhealthy food creates a cycle of disease and malnutrition that affects infants and adults as well.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dental laboratory</span>

Dental laboratories manufacture or customize a variety of products to assist in the provision of oral health care by a licensed dentist. These products include crowns, bridges, dentures and other dental products. Dental lab technicians follow a prescription from a licensed dentist when manufacturing these items, which include prosthetic devices and therapeutic devices. The FDA regulates these products as medical devices and they are therefore subject to FDA's good manufacturing practice ("GMP") and quality system ("QS") requirements. In most cases, however, they are exempt from manufacturer registration requirements. Some of the most common restorations manufactured include crowns, bridges, dentures, and dental implants. Dental implants is one of the most advanced dental technologies in the field of dentistry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BSI Group</span> National standards body of the UK

The British Standards Institution (BSI) is the national standards body of the United Kingdom. BSI produces technical standards on a wide range of products and services and also supplies certification and standards-related services to businesses.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">South African Bureau of Standards</span> South African statutory body

The South African Bureau of Standards (SABS) is a South African statutory body that was established in terms of the Standards Act and continues to operate in terms of the latest edition of the Standards Act, 2008 as the national institution for the promotion and maintenance of standardisation and quality in connection with commodities and the rendering of services.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">British Approvals Service for Cables</span>

British Approvals Service for Cables is an independent accredited certification body headquartered in Milton Keynes, United Kingdom. Here, the organization's dedicated testing laboratory also operates which is believed to be the largest of its type in Europe. BASEC was established in 1971 and principally provides product certification services for all types of cable and wire, ancillary products and management systems within the cable industry. The organization maintains operations throughout the world including Africa, Middle East, America, Asia and Europe.

The Global Food Safety Initiative (GFSI) is a private organization that works as a "coalition of action" from the Consumer Goods Forum (CGF) and brings together retailers and brand owners (manufacturers) from across the CGF membership. The GFSI operates under multi-stakeholder governance, with the objective to create "an extended food safety community to oversee food safety standards for businesses and help provide access to safe food for people everywhere". GFSI's work in benchmarking and harmonization aims to foster mutual acceptance of GFSI-recognized certification programs across the industry, with the ambition to enable a "once certified, accepted everywhere" approach.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">NSF International</span> Organization

NSF is a product testing, inspection, certification organization with headquarters in Ann Arbor, Michigan. NSF also offers consulting and training services worldwide.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">ISI mark</span> Indian standards-compliance mark for products

The ISI mark is a standards-compliance mark for industrial products in India since 1950. The mark certifies that a product conforms to an Indian standard (IS) developed by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the national standards body of India. The ISI is an initialism of Indian Standards Institution, the name of the national standards body until 1 January 1978, when it was renamed to the Bureau of the Indian Standards. The ISI mark is mandatory for certain products to be sold in India, such as electrical appliances including switches, electric motors, wiring cables, heaters, kitchen appliances, etc., and other products like Portland cement, LPG valves, LPG cylinders, automotive tyres, etc. In the case of most other products, ISI marks are optional.

India has a comprehensive system of product certifications governed by laws made by the Parliament of India at various times. These certifications are managed by various agencies, and hold various statuses before the law. Some of these marks are mandatory for such products to be manufactured or to be placed in the Indian market while some of the marks hold only an advisory status. All the industrial standardisation and industrial product certifications are governed by the Bureau of Indian Standards often abbreviated as BIS, the national standards organisation of India, while standards for other areas are developed and managed by other governmental agencies.

The Quality Council of India (QCI) was set up as a public private partnership model on the model existing in Netherlands at the time, where although the NAB was not owned by the government, yet it was supported by it and was exceedingly used as a third party agency to improve quality in departments and industry. QCI thus, came to be organized as an independent autonomous body that worked towards assuring quality standards across all spheres of economic and social activities. Key industry associations, i.e. Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM), Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) and Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) became the promoters of the organizers and QCI got established under the Societies Registration Act in 1996 to provide accreditation services in various sectors for product, services and persons.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification</span> Science and technology agency of the Government of India

Standardisation Testing and Quality Certification (STQC) Directorate, established in 1980, is an authoritative body offering quality assurance services to IT and Electronics domains.

References

  1. "Message from Director General". Official website. Retrieved 19 December 2018.
  2. http://bis.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/BIS-Act-2016.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  3. "Bureau of Indian Standards told to monitor manufacture sale of helmets". The Hindu. 13 April 2021.
  4. "The Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016" (PDF). www.bis.org.in. Bureau of Indian Standards. 23 December 2016.
  5. https://bis.gov.in/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/HRD_07042021.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  6. "Bureau of Indian Standards to set standards for the services sector too". The Hindu.
  7. BIS Annual Report 2006–07 (PDF)
  8. "National Building Code updated". The Hindu . Thiruvananthapuram, India. 16 September 2006. Archived from the original on 25 January 2013. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  9. (PDF). 3 December 2013 https://web.archive.org/web/20131203003336/http://web.iianc.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/ced467830WC1.pdf. Archived from the original (PDF) on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 5 September 2021.{{cite web}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
  10. "Parliament clears Bureau of Indian Standards Bill 2015". Business Standard. Retrieved 10 March 2016.
  11. "THE BUREAU OF INDIAN STANDARDS ACT, 1986 | ARRANGEMENT OF SECTIONS" (PDF).
  12. http://www.bis.org.in/bs/BIS_Act_2016.pdf [ bare URL PDF ]
  13. "NATIONAL INSTITUTE OF TRAINING FOR STANDARDIZATION (NITS)". BIS, India. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  14. "Bureau of Indian Standards". India Portal, National Informatics Centre, Indian Government. Archived from the original on 7 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.
  15. "Quality Management System and Certification". Business Portal of Indian Government, National Informatics Centre. Archived from the original on 29 May 2012. Retrieved 8 May 2012.