Another blow to China: India to cut low-quality imports from March 2021; BIS to frame new standards

Many sub-standard and non-essential imports will be stopped from March 2021. (Bloomberg image)As India strives towards self-reliance, imports of many non-essential items will be curbed from March 2021. Minister of Consumer Affairs Ram Vilas Paswan said that after the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is ready with the regulations prescribed by the Commerce Ministry for quality imports, many sub-standard and non-essential imports will be stopped from March 2021. BIS is set to frame quality norms for 371 items by March 2021. These 371 tariff lines include multiple segments, ranging from steel, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, and electrical machinery to furniture and toys, PTI reported. BIS Director-General Pramod Kumar Tiwari further said that the identified tariff lines include Chinese products too and they are trying to frame standards and make them mandatory.

Different ministries like steel, chemicals, and petroleum have been told to identify the products for making standards. While for some of the low-volume import items, making standards is not necessary, there are already standards in place for other items. Pramod Kumar Tiwari added that standards for some products will be made by December and the rest by March 2021.

Also Read: Modi’s Atmanirbhar Bharat: How palm oil cultivation can make India self-reliant in edible oil

Adding to new standards, the BIS will also strengthen its surveillance system and has posted officers at major ports to work closely with the customs department. The officers are supposed to take the market samples of the imported products and test them at the port itself. BIS is also making efforts to increase its surveillance visits at factories and markets to more than a lakh a year from the current 20,000 visits, BIS Director-General added.

आज विडियो कांफ्रेंसिंग के जरिए प्रेस को संबोधित किया और भारतीय मानक ब्यूरो @IndianStandards के मोबाइल ऐप BISCARE और eBIS पोर्टल https://t.co/sZ0OiBGSBb का लोकार्पण किया। अब मोबाइल ऐप के जरिए BIS और इसके द्वारा तैयार मानकों के संबंध में पूरी जानकारी हासिल की जा सकती है। 1/3 pic.twitter.com/lezu9Upi68

— Ram Vilas Paswan (@irvpaswan) July 27, 2020

Meanwhile, Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan launched the BIS mobile app and two portals on BIS certification and standards at the conference. The minister said in a tweet that on the eBIS portal MANKONLINE.IN, the process of standardisation is complete and the information regarding purity and regional BIS centres and offices have been uploaded.