Bureau of Indian Standards

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The BIS logo

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.

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.

1 Purpose
2 Objective
3 Location
4 Functions
5 Standards development
6 Standards Promotion
7 See also
8 External links
9 International Standardizing bodies
10 References

[edit] Purpose

During the pre independence period, standardization activity was sporadic and confined mainly to a few Government purchasing organizations. However, immediately after independence, economic development through coordinated utilization of resources was called for and the government recognized the role for standardization in gearing industry to competitive efficiency and quality production. The Indian Standards Institution (ISI) was, therefore, set up in 1947 as a registered society, under a Government of India resolution.

The Indian Standards Institution gave the nation the standards it needed for nationalization, orderly industrial and commercial growth, quality production and competitive efficiency. However, in 1986 the government recognized the need for stregthening this National Standards Body due to fast changing socio-economic scenario and accorded it a statutory status. Thus, came the Bureau of Indian Standards Act 1986 and on 1 April 1987, newly formed BIS took over staff assets, liabilities and functions of erstwhile ISI. Through this change over, the Government envisaged building of the climate of quality culture and consciousness and greater participation of consumers in formulation and of National Standards.1 April 1987

[edit] Objective

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

[edit] Location

The BIS Headquarters, New Delhi

Head Quarters:

Manak Bhavan 9 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg

New Delhi 110 002, India

Tel : +91 11 23230131, 23233375, 23239402 (10 lines)

Fax : +91 11 23234062, 23239399, 23239382

Grams : Manaksanstha

Email : info@bis.org.in

Training centre:

National Institute of Training for Standardization (NITS)

A20 & 21, Sector-62, Institutional Area, NOIDA, (U.P.), INDIA

Tel: +91 120 2402202 to 07

Fax: +91 120 2402202, 2402203

Email: nits@bis.org.in

[edit] 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.

2. Certification Schemes

Product Certification Scheme is a scheme whereby manufacturers of products interested in producing their products as per relevant Indian Standards are permitted to use the Standard Mark of the Bureau (the popular ISI mark) on their products after obtaining a licence from the Bureau. The pre-requisites for obtaining a licence are that the manufacturer has the necessary manufacturing and testing facility for the product and agrees to follow the quality assurance scheme of the Bureau in addition to payment of necessary fees as stipulated. The licence is initially granted for a period of one year which is renewable for subsequent periods based on satisfactory operation of the scheme. The scheme is voluntary in nature for most products. However, the government has insisted on ISI marking of about 136 products which affect the health and safety of consumers or are products of mass consumption like LPG Cylinders, Food Colours and Additives, Cement, Packaged Drinking Water, etc.

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.

Certification for Foreign Manufacturers is another scheme again operated on the same lines whereby manufacturers located in foreign countries are permitted to use the Standard (ISI) mark on their products.

ECO MARK BIS grants licences to environment friendly products under this special scheme. For obtaining the ECO Mark Certificate the products should conform to additional requirements specified in the Indian Standards.

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).

3. Management System Certifications : Under the Management System Certifications, the Bureau operates the following four Certification Schemes:

Quality Management System Certification (ISO 9001 Certification) : The Bureau operates the Quality Management System Certification for organizations based on the ISO 9001:2000 Standard published by the International Organization of Standardization (ISO). Being a member of ISO the standards of ISO can be adopted in-toto by the Bureau and can be published as IS/ISO standards. Accordingly, the ISO 9000 series of standards have been adopted and are published as the IS/ISO 9000 series of standards. The certification is for the systems implemented by an organization and not for the product or service provided by them. The Standard requires implementation of systems as required by the Standard in all relevant activities and functions within an organization that goes to satisfy the needs of customers. The standard also requires that the organization shows continual improvement by defining specific objectives and measuring and monitoring the same in its activities. The certification being operated by the Bureau is accredited by the Dutch Council of Accreditation - Raad voor Accreditatie (RvA), The HACCP (Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) programme for the food industry which envisages identification and control of hazards-physical, chemical or biological-can also be covered in QMS Certification Scheme if so desired by any organization.

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.

Information Security Management System Certification (ISMS based on ISO/IEC 27001)

Food Safety Management System Certification (FSMS based on ISO 22000)

4. 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 (Specification for Gold and Gold Alloys, Jewellery/Artefacts - Fineness and Marking). The Standard is equivalent to the International Standard ISO 9202:1991-Jewellery – Fineness of Precious Metal Alloys. The scheme is voluntary in nature.

5. 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.

WTO-TBT Enquiry Point : The Government of India, Ministry of Commerce has designated BIS as the enquiry point under the Agreement on Technical Barriers to Trade of the World Trade Organization (WTO). According to the Agreement, the Enquiry Point issues notifications on proposed technical regulations and certification systems in India to WTO, Geneva.

[edit] 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 (like preliminary, wide circulation and finalized draft standards) at different stages of preparation. The copies of Work Programme (and also of wide circulation drafts for comments during the wide circulation period) can be obtained from the Director of the concerned Technical Divisions, Bureau of Indian Standards, New Delhi.

The Work Programme is updated through Standards Monthly Additions (SMA), a monthly publication which contains information on standards published (new and revised), dual no. standards, amendments to standards, draft standards for comments, standards withdrawn and standards proposed for withdrawal up to 15th of the preceding month.

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

[edit] 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.

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

[edit] International Standardizing bodies

[edit] References

Bureau of Indian Standards (Formerly known as ISI). Retrieved on 2006-06-03.

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