The Product Certification Scheme of BIS aims at providing Third Party Guarantee of quality, safety and reliability of products
to the ultimate customer. Presence of ISI certification mark known as Standard Mark on a product is an assurance of conformity
to the specifications. The conformity is ensured by regular surveillance of the licensee's performance by surprise inspections
and testing of samples, drawn both from the market and factory.
Procedure For Grant of License For Domestic Manufacturers
The applicant has the option to choose any of the following two procedures for grant of BIS
license:
(i) Normal Procedure –
In the normal procedure, the applicant is required to submit the filled in application along with
required documents and requisite fee to the nearest BIS branch office. Subsequently, after recording
of the application, a preliminary factory evaluation is carried out by BIS officer to ascertain the
capability of the applicant/manufacturer to produce goods according to the relevant Indian Standard
and to verify the availability of complete testing facility and competent technical personnel.
Samples
are tested in the factory and also drawn for independent testing. Grant of
license is considered by BIS
provided the samples pass during independent testing, preliminary evaluation is satisfactory and the applicant
agrees to operate the defined Scheme of Testing & Inspection and pay the prescribed marking fee.
(ii) Simplified Procedure –
In the simplified procedure, applicant is required to furnish the test report(s) of the sample(s) got tested
by him in the BIS approved laboratories, along with the application. If the test report(s) and other documents
are found satisfactory, a verification visit is carried out by BIS. The
license is granted thereafter if the
verification report is found satisfactory. The applicant also has the option to get the documents and other
details as specified in the application, certified by a Chartered Engineer and submit the same to BIS. The
license then shall be granted after scrutiny of the documents and report submitted by Chartered Engineer.
By this procedure the license is expected to be granted within 30 days of receipt of application by BIS,
provided all required documents are furnished and found satisfactory.
Hallmarking of Gold Jewellery in India
Introduction
Culturally, the Indian people have a great fascination for gold. It should be
recognized that in India, in common with other Asian Countries, gold has a very
important role in our cultural heritage. Gold is considered as a commodity, and not
a product. Any form of gold is equal to any other form of gold. It is viewed to be
homogenous and indistinguishable, having no brand or expiry date. As a result, gold demand
is not price-elastic. Rather it is prosperity elastic - that is, increments in household income
are generally matched by purchases of more gold.
Unless alloyed with a comparatively small proportion of some other metal, both pure gold and pure silver
are too soft to withstand wear as an article for use or adornment. This necessity has always demanded
some system of control if frauds on the public are to be prevented, because adulteration of articles
manufactured from the precious metals by the introduction of too much of the strengthening alloy is a
type of fraud to which the public is extremely vulnerable. It is easy to perpetrate, because with both
metals a considerable excess of alloy can be introduced without changing the
color, and is difficult
to detect without technical tests.
