Economics
Context: The government of India recently announced that the sale of gold jewellery and gold artefacts hallmarked without a six-digit alphanumeric shall not be permitted from April 1, 2023.
About Bureau of Indian Standards(BIS):
- BIS is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016
- It works under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution.
- It was formerly the Indian Standards Institution (ISI), set up under the Resolution of the Department of Industries and Supplies in 1946.
- The ISI was registered under the Societies Registration Act, of 1860.
- A new Bureau of Indian standard (BIS) Act 2016 was brought into force in 2017.
- BIS has its Headquarters in New Delhi.
- President, Ex-officio: Hon’ble Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
- Vice President, Ex-officio: Hon’ble Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India.
- Objectives: harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.
BIS is involved in various activities as given below:
- Standards Formulation
- Product Certification Scheme
- Compulsory Registration Scheme
- Foreign Manufacturers Certification Scheme
- Hall Marking Scheme
- Laboratory Services
- Laboratory Recognition Scheme
- Sale of Indian Standards
- Consumer Affairs Activities
- Promotional Activities
- Training Services, National & International level
- Information Services
About Hallmark:
- Hallmarks are thus official marks used in many countries as a guarantee of the purity or fineness of precious metal articles.
- The principle objectives of the Hallmarking Scheme :
- to protect the public against adulteration
- to obligate manufacturers to maintain legal standards of fineness.
- Who issues Hallmark: Bureau of Indian Standards
- For which products: Gold and silver jewellery
- Applicable since: It is applicable for gold since 2000 and for silver since 2005.
Procedure For Obtaining Registration by Jeweller for Sale of Hallmarked Jeweller / Artefacts
- Any jeweller willing to obtain a certificate of registration for selling Hallmarked Gold and Silver Jewelry/artefacts shall apply online in the BIS portal.
- The certificate of registration is granted instantly to the jeweller without the need to upload any document or pay any fees for the same.
- The certificate of registration stands valid for a lifetime.
About Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID):
- HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric code .
- It is given to every piece of jewellery at the time of hallmarking and is unique for each piece.
- It is being implemented by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) in a phased manner.
- Hallmarking & HUID are mandatory for 14-, 18- and 22-carat gold jewellery and artefacts.
- The Government has made it mandatory the introduction of a HUID number in every piece of jewellery.
Source: THE HINDU
Previous Year Questions
Q.1) Consider the following statements: (2017)
- The Standard Mark of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is mandatory for automotive tyres and tubes.
- AGMARK is a quality Certification Mark issued by the Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO).
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- 1 only
- 2 only
- Both 1 and 2
- Neither 1 nor 2
Q.2) What is/are the purpose/purposes of the Government’s ‘Sovereign Gold Bond Scheme’ and ‘Gold Monetization Scheme’? (2016)
- To bring the idle gold lying with Indian households into the economy
- To promote FDI in the gold and jewelry sector
- To reduce India’s dependence on gold imports
Select the correct answer using the code given below.
- 1 only
- 2 and 3 only
- 1 and 3 only
- 1, 2 and 3
