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Product
Certification Schemes (updated on 21 05 2007) |
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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. |
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1.INTRODUCTION |
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The
Bureau of Indian Standards, empowered through a legislative Act of the Indian
Parliament, known as the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986,
operates a product certification scheme, and has till date granted more than
30 000 licences to manufacturers covering practically every industrial
discipline from Agriculture to Textiles to Electronics. The certification
allows the licensees to use the popular ISI Mark, which has
become synonymous with Quality products for the Indian and neighbouring
markets over the past 50 years. The Bureau's predecessor, the Indian
Standards Institution began operating the product certification Scheme in
1955. Presently more than 19000 licences are in operation covering about 1000
products. Please
click here for IS-wise List of Licences. 2. OPERATING PRINCIPLE The
BIS Product certification Scheme operates in an impartial, non discriminatory
and transparent manner. The documents stating the powers, rights and
responsibilities of BIS and the affected sectors of society are published by
the Government of India as the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 1986, Rules
and (Certification) Regulations, 1988. The specific procedure for
operating a licence are given in another document called the Scheme of Testing and Inspection
(STI), described later. Procedures provide for maintaining a very high degree
of confidentiality and integrity among its personnel who perform
certification related tasks. A body called the ' Certification Advisory
Committee' composed of persons from varied sectors like manufacturers,
consumers, Government agencies, industries associations reviews the
performance of the scheme and advises on key policy issues. Internally, a
senior functionary designated as 'Additional Director General (Marks)' is
responsible for ensuring that the scheme operates within the framework of
rules and procedures established. 3.CERTIFICATION SYSTEM The BIS product certification scheme is essentially voluntary in nature, and is largely based on ISO Guide 28, which provides general rules for third party certification system of determining conformity with product standards through initial testing and assessment of a factory quality management system and its acceptance followed by surveillance that takes into account the factory Quality management system and the testing of samples from the factory and the open market. All BIS certifications are carried out in accordance with Indian Standards, which are amenable to certification. A large number of operational elements of the BIS product certification scheme correspond with the requirements of ISO Guide 65. 4.TYPES OF LICENSING Although,
the scheme itself is voluntary in nature, the Government of India, on
considerations of public health and safety, security, infrastructure
requirements and mass consumption has enforced mandatory certification on
various products through Orders issued from time to time under various Acts.
While BIS continues to grant licences on application, the enforcement of
compulsory certification is done by the notified authorities. For the list of
items brought under mandatory certification, together with the corresponding
Indian Standard Number, and the authorities responsible for enforcing the
orders, please click here. Under separate arrangements with Statutory agencies, some products have been placed under special certification schemes of lot or batch inspection carried out by BIS Inspecting officers. A majority of Gas cylinders, regulators and valves are certified through such schemes. Under agreement with UNICEF, Deep well hand-pumps, a critical potable water supply source for rural areas is also certified under a lot inspection scheme. For
all other products, the manufacturer is permitted to self certify the
products after ascertaining its conformity to the Standard licensed for.
Through its surveillance operations, the Bureau maintains a close vigil on
the quality of certified goods. Overseas
applicants and Indian Importers are also granted licence for use of ISI mark
under separately designed schemes. For details, please see BIS Foreign Manufacturers Scheme
and Indian Importers Scheme. 5. OPERATIONAL AREAS The BIS Product Certification Scheme is open to manufacturers in all countries without discrimination. While a licence can be granted for any Indian Standard specifying product characteristics, which is amenable to certification, the broad areas of technologies now under certification are: |
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6. Resources:
The
finances of the Bureau are self managed, with certification operations
accounting for more than 90 percent of the revenue. The BIS employs a staff
complement of engineers and scientists to cater to all its fields of
operations. They are trained into evaluation and assessment techniques to a
high degree of professional competence. All preliminary and surveillance
inspections are carried out by qualified personnel only. BIS has set up eight
laboratories in different cities of
The certification scheme operates through a network of 33 Branch Offices set up in State capitals or major industrial towns and 5 Regional Offices overseeing the work of the Branch offices.
PROCEDURE FOR GRANT OF BIS LICENCE FOR DOMESTIC
MANUFACTURERS
(Updated on 21 05 2007)
The
applicant has the option to choose any of the following two procedures for
grant of BIS licence:
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 licence 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.
For details, click
here.
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 licence 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 licence then shall be
granted after scrutiny of the documents and report submitted by Chartered
Engineer. By this procedure the licence is expected to be granted within 30
days of receipt of application by BIS, provided all required documents are
furnished and found satisfactory. For details,
click
here.
Note 1: Simplified procedure is available for all products
except certain items under mandatory certification like gas cylinders, valves,
regulators, cement, etc.
Note 2: If any licence granted as per simplified procedure
is cancelled in the event of failure of verification samples, the fresh
application shall only be considered as per normal procedure.
Note 3: All
Note 4: There is a separate scheme for Foreign
Manufacturers (click here) and
Indian Importers (click here).
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