Quality Control Orders

Prelims: Economic Development | Current events of National and International Importance

Why in news?

During 75^th anniversary celebration of SGS in India, the Union Minister of Commerce and Industry had announced that the number of Quality Control Orders has grown from 14 to 156 covering 672 products.

Société Générale de Surveillance (SGS) is the world’s leading Testing, Inspection and Certification company that operate across 115 countries including India. SGS India is a subsidiary of this multinational company which is contributing since 1951.

• QCOs – They are regulatory measures to establish quality standards for specific products or product categories.
• Need – For protection of human, animal or plant health, safety of environment, prevention of unfair trade practices and national security.
• Objectives – To ensure that products meet certain prescribed quality, safety, and performance requirements before they can be manufactured, imported, stored, or sold in the country.
• To establish a unified quality standard for domestic and global markets.
• Issued by – Various Line Ministries (Regulators) under the Central Government.
• Prohibition orders - After passage of QCO, no person shall manufacture, import, distribute, sell, hire, lease, store or exhibit for sale any product(s) covered under the QCO without a Standard Mark except under a valid Licence from BIS.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) of 1986, the National Standards Body of India is engaged in the activities of Standardization, Conformity Assessment and Quality Assurance of goods, articles, processes, systems and services. The Indian Standards established by BIS forms the basis for the Product Certification Schemes, which provides Third Party Assurance of Quality, Safety and Reliability of products to consumers.

• Role of BIS in implementation of QCOs – It acts as the Certification Authority and grants Licence to manufacturers as per relevant Conformity Assessment Scheme.
• It also acts as the Enforcement Authority for the products specified in the QCO.
• It provides technical inputs related to Indian Standards, appropriate Conformity Assessment Scheme etc.
• It also participates in stakeholder’s consultation meeting.

References

1. PIB| Increased Quality Control Orders in India
2. BIS| Quality Control Orders