The Union Cabinet on Wednesday approved the introduction of a new Bureau of Indian Standards Bill, 2015.
The new Bill will provide the legislative framework to establish the BIS as the National Standards Body of India.
According to an official statement, provisions of the new Bill will allow the Bureau of Indian Standards to perform its functions through a governing council which would include a President and other members.
It would enable the Government to bring under the mandatory certification regime articles, processes or services which it considers necessary from a point of view of health, safety, environment, prevention of deceptive practices, security and others. “This will help consumers receive ISI certified products and will also help in prevention of import of sub-standard products,” an official statement said.
The law also seeks to provide simplified conformity assessment schemes including Self Declaration of Conformity as long as manufacturers adhere to standards.
The Central Government will have the right to appoint any authority in addition to BIS to verify the conformity of products and services to a standard and issue certificate of conformity.
Further, the Cabinet also agreed to continue, strengthen and establish Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVK) with an outlay of ₹3,900 crore. The scheme envisages continuation of 642 KVKs and 109 new KVKs during the Twelfth Plan period.
In a separate decision, Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs approved four-laning of three road projects in Maharashtra at a cost of ₹7,528.74 crore.