Source: PIB
Subject: Polity
Context: The 79th Foundation Day of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) was celebrated, where Union Minister highlighted BIS’s shift from a regulatory to a facilitative approach, aligned with ease of doing business and quality culture.
About Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS):
What it is?
- BIS is India’s National Standards Body, responsible for standardisation, certification, hallmarking, and quality assurance of goods and services to protect consumers and enhance global competitiveness.
Established in:
- 1987 (came into force on 1 April 1987)
- Currently governed under the BIS Act, 2016
Headquarters: New Delhi
History:
- 1947: Indian Standards Institution (ISI) established (origin traced to a 1946 memorandum).
- 1952–56: ISI Certification Marks Scheme launched (ISI mark).
- 1987: ISI transformed into BIS with wider powers.
- 2016: BIS Act, 2016 strengthened mandate, consumer participation, and global alignment.
Core functions:
- Standards formulation (over 23,300 Indian Standards across traditional & emerging sectors).
- Product certification (including fast-track licensing).
- Compulsory Registration Scheme & Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme.
- Hallmarking of precious metals.
- Laboratory services & recognition; testing infrastructure.
- Consumer awareness & training; sale of Indian Standards; information services.
New initiatives launched:
- Beta launch of BIS Standardisation Portal: End-to-end digital lifecycle for standards (proposal → publication), with dashboards, role-based access, faster timelines, and transparency.
- SHINE – Standards Help Inform & Nurture Empowered Women: Women-centric capacity building via SHGs/NGOs, positioning women as quality ambassadors in communities.
- BIS–SAKSHAM (Annual Excellence Recognition Scheme): Institutional recognition of knowledge, skills, and high-impact merit.
