The Hindu Business Line : Hallmarking of jewellery done under strict standards: BIS

THE Bureau of Indian Standards has taken steps to popularise the hallmarking scheme of gold jewellery to protect consumer against irregular gold quality as well as to develop export competitiveness to make India a leading gold market centre in the world.

In an affidavit filed before the Kerala High Court, BIS submitted that several measures are under its active consideration for the growth of the hallmarking scheme based on the recommendations of the committee set up by the Union Government to examine ways and means to secure consumer interest in the marketing of gold products.

One such step is to request the Finance Ministry to spend one per cent of the sale proceeds of the confiscated gold for promotion and publicity of the hallmarking scheme of gold jewellery and also to introduce a small cess on import duty of gold to finance promotion of campaign of a gold hallmarking scheme, the BIS official submitted before the court. The committee had also recommended to give preference to hallmarked jewellery for loans by banks and also to abolish service tax on assaying and hallmarking centres.

The affidavit comes in the wake of a public interest litigation praying for a direction to BIS to prohibit the ill-equipped quality assaying and hallmarking centres from conducting hallmarking and assaying of gold products in Kerala. It is alleged in the petition that the present system of BIS hallmarking is totally defective as most of the hallmarking centres are ill-equipped.

Mr K. Anbarsu, scientist at BIS, Thiruvananthapuram, submitted that the hallmarking centres are recognised by BIS based on a laid down criteria after ensuring that the centre has the required infrastructure for assaying and hallmarking of gold jewellery in addition to the security and safety of the products. BIS hallmarking scheme has considerably influenced the jewellery trade in the country and it enabled the consumers to purchase purity-tested jewellery.

The allegation that the Union Government has not prescribed any standards and norms of effective measures for quality control of gold in the petition is not correct and the BIS has taken all possible steps to ensure the purity of gold sold to the consumers, he said.

Denying the allegation that most of the assaying and hallmarking centres are ill-equipped, he pointed out that the test methods specified in Indian standards are scientific based and in line with international standards. The BIS has recognised assaying and hallmarking centres strictly as per the criteria after thorough checking of availability and working condition of the testing equipment.

He pointed out that BIS has so far granted over 990 licensees for hallmarking across the country and has also recognised 28 assaying and hallmarking centres under the strict provisions of the BIS Act, 1986, which is based on International Convention on Control and Marking of Precious Metals (Vienna Convention, 1972) Guidelines.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Now, thematic Indian weddings in Malaysia

Australia seeks more space in Indian retail food market

Hallmarking of jewellery done under strict standards: BIS

Cobra Beer launched in AP market

Hi-tech's gadgets target new-age businessmen

Reliance Info's new offer