The Ministry of Law and Justice, Government of India notified the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016 on 22nd March, 2016 upon receiving the assent of the President. The new Act repeals the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986.
The Act provides for the establishment of a national standards body for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, conformity assessment and quality assurance of goods, articles, processes, systems and services.
Some of the major features of the Act have been highlighted below:
- The Act establishes a national body in the name of Bureau of Indian Standards to implement the mandate of the Act.
- A Governing Council has been constituted for performing general superintendence, direction and management of the affairs of the Bureau with the Minister in-charge as the ex-officio President of the Bureau, Minister of State as the ex-officio Vice-President of the Bureau, Secretary to the Government of India of the Ministry having administrative control of the Bureau, the Director General of the Bureau, other persons representing the Government or other relevant institutions.
- The Bureau has been empowered to notify conformity assessment schemes for any goods, article, process, system or service, which mean to demonstrate the requirements related to any article, process, system, service, person or body.
- The Director General of the Bureau has been made the Chief Executive Authority of the Bureau for implementing the mandate of the Act.
- No court lower than that of a Metropolitan Magistrate or Judicial Magistrate of the first class is empowered to take cognizance of any offence punishable under this Act.
Ministry of Law and Justice
