Bureau of Indian Standards

Headline text

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India, is involved in the development of technical standards (popularly known as Indian Standards), product quality and management system certifications and consumer affairs.It resolves to be the leader in all matters concerning Standardization, Certification and Quality. The BIS is the member of 'International Organization for Standardization' (ISO) representing India.

In order to attain this, the Bureau strives:

* To provide efficient timely service.
* To satisfy the customers' needs for quality of goods and services.
* To work and act in such a way that each task, performed as individuals or as corporate entity, leads to excellence and enhances the credibility and image of the Organization.
* BIS would achieve these objectives by working in close cooperation with all concerned organizations and by adopting appropriate management systems, motivating and ensuring active participation of all the employees.

Objective

* Harmonious development of standardization, marking and quality certification
* To provide new thrust to standardization and quality control h
* To evolve a national strategy for according recognition to standards and integrating them with growth and development of production and exports

Functions

1. Formulation of Indian Standards for products and services by bringing together and coordinating various interest groups like manufacturers, consumers, technical experts, testing personnel and others interested. The standards so prepared are known as Indian Standards (IS) and are considered as legal documents. The first Indian Standard formulated was for the National Flag (IS 1). So far BIS has published about 18000 Indian Standards covering various products, codes of practices, terminology, etc for various industrial and economic sectors. The Indian Standards are used not only by the industry but also by the Government, students, consumers and regulatory authorities. The standards are priced publications and are available from all the offices of the Bureau.

* "Certification for Indian Importers" is a similar scheme operated for importers who are desirous of using the standard mark (ISI Mark) on imported products. The Government of India has also stipulated that some of the products be imported into the country only after approval of BIS is obtained.

* "IECEE & IECQ Certification" BIS is a National Certifying Body (issuing and recognizing) under the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) System for Conformity Testing and Certification of Electrical Equipment (IECEE). The product categories for which BIS has IECEE acceptance are Cables and Chords, Capacitors as components, Low voltage high power switching equipment, Installation of protective equipment and Electronics entertainment. BIS is also the National Authorised Institution and the National Standards Organization under the IEC System of Quality Assessment of Electronic Components (IECQ).

* "Environment Management System Certification" : The certification scheme is based on the ISO 14001 standard which as in the case of ISO 9000 standards has been adopted as IS/ISO 14001. The thrust of the standard is ensuring that organizations meet the legal requirements of environmental protection and has systems whereby they control and improve upon measures that will lead to a healthier environment.

* "Food Safety Management System Certification

2. Hall Marking of Gold Jewellery : India is the largest consumer of gold and the purchaser of gold jewellery is the common consumer. The Hall Marking of Gold Jewellery indented to ensure that the consumer gets gold jewellery of the purity declared was launched on 11 April 2000 at the behest of the Government of India. The certification of purity of Gold Jewellery is done in accordance with the Indian Standard IS:1417 . The Standard is equivalent to the International Standard ISO 9202:1991-Jewellery – Fineness of Precious Metal Alloys. The scheme is voluntary in nature.

3.. Other Actitvities of the Bureau include
* "Operation of Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award" instituted in 1991, with a view to encouraging Indian manufacturing and service organizations to strive for excellence and giving special recognition to those who are considered to be the leaders of quality movement in India. This award is intended to generate interest and involvement of Indian Industry in quality programmes, drive our products and services to higher levels of quality and equip our Industry to meet the challenges of domestic and International markets.

Standards development

BIS is engaged in formulation of Indian Standards for the following sectors :

* Basic & Production Engineering
* Chemicals
* Civil Engineering
* Electronics and Information Technology
* Electrotechnical
* Food and Agriculture
* Mechanical Engineering
* Management and Systems
* Medical Equipment and Hospital Planning
* Metallurgical Engineering
* Petroleum Coal and Related Products
* Transport Engineering
* Textile
* Water Resources

Each of these sectors has a Division Council to oversee and supervise its work.

BIS publishes detailed Work Programme for each of the 14 Division Councils once in a year on 1 April. The Work Programme, besides giving scope of Division Council and Sectional Committees, contains committeewise position of standards published and draft standards at different stages of preparation.

Special attention is given to multidisciplinary areas such as energy conservation, environmental protection, rural development and safety. So far over 17,000 standards have been formulated in different technology areas. The standards formulated fall in the following categories:

* Product Specifications
* Methods of Test
* Codes of Practices, Guidelines, etc
* Terminologies, Glossaries, etc
* Basic Standards

Standards Promotion

Apart from formulation, emphasis is laid also on regular review of the standards to keep them in line with modern technological developments, as also to harmonise them with international standards or their equivalents.