INVITATION TO STAKE HOLDERS FOR PARTICIPATION IN NATIONAL TECHNICAL COMMITTEE ON NANOTECHNOLOGY

Nanotechnology is an emerging concept in the field of science and technology. The existing products are improved and also new products are created by using materials and structure with nanoscale dimension. One nanometer is one billionth of a metre, which corresponds to ultra-micro worlds such as the width of a semiconductor line, the size of a virus (10-100 nm), a protein molecule, a hydrogen atom or the diameter of a DNA double helix (1-10 nm). The exploration of this world requires the development of a totally different technology. For the technology to meet the high expectations associated with it will require a deliberate understanding not only of how nanoscale materials perform and why, but also the health, safety and environmental considerations they present. Research in the field of nanotechnology is going on in different countries such as Europe, USA and Japan. It has been observed that this technology has potential world market for which appropriate standards infrastructure need to be in place as soon as possible to ensure that organizations can take full advantage of the opportunities as and when these become available. Some work on standard development in nanotechnology is underway, such as development of terminology document in the USA, Publicly Available Specification (PAS) vocabulary for nanoparticle with BSI. UK, USA and Japan have already set up national nanotechnology committee.

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body of India, is entrusted with the task of formulating national standards in various areas. These standards are formulated through various Sectional Committees. BIS is the founder member of International Organization for Standardization (ISO). ISO set up a new Technical Committee; ISO/TC 229 on Nanotechnologies with the following scope:

“ Standardization in the field of nanotechnologies that includes either or both of the following:

a) Understanding and control of matter and processes at the nanoscale, typically, but not exclusively, below 100 nanometres in one or more dimensions where the onset of size-dependent phenomena usually enables novel applications,

b) Utilizing the properties of nanoscale materials that differ from the properties of individual atoms, molecules and bulk matter to create improved materials, devices and systems that exploit these new properties.”

India (BIS) is one of the P-members of ISO Technical Committee, ISO/TC 229. For the active participation in ISO Technical Committee as well as formulation on national standards, it is essential to constitute the national committee to deal with the multidisciplinary subject. For effective representation in this technical committee, BIS invites offers from different organizations working in the field of nanotechnologies to send their nomination of one principal and one alternate member who can contribute their expertise and experience in the formulation of various national standards under this sectional committee to the Head of Metallurgical Engineering Department (MTD), Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), 9 Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg, New Delhi-110 001.