Uttarakhand Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan directs departments to follow BIS quality standards in government procurement, expand official training and promote the BIS CARE App for consumer protection.
Uttarakhand is set to place greater emphasis on product quality and compliance with Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) guidelines during government procurement. At a state-level committee meeting chaired by Chief Secretary Anand Bardhan at the Secretariat on Wednesday, officials discussed measures to strengthen standardisation, quality management and consumer protection.
The Chief Secretary directed government departments to ensure that procurement decisions follow not only prescribed purchasing rules but also applicable BIS standards and quality requirements. He stressed that quality must not be compromised during the purchase of goods and services by government agencies.
BIS to Conduct Workshops and Issue Advisories for Departments
Bardhan asked the Bureau of Indian Standards to organise regular workshops with concerned departments and issue advisories explaining the relevant standards and quality requirements. The initiative aims to help officials understand how BIS guidelines should be incorporated into procurement procedures.
Related Articles
The focus will be on ensuring that government purchases meet the required quality benchmarks rather than relying solely on compliance with procurement rules.
Training to Focus on Quality Control Orders
The Chief Secretary also called for greater awareness of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) among departmental officials, industry representatives and traders. BIS was asked to conduct workshops to explain the applicable standards and the importance of compliance.
Regular training sessions will be organised for government officers and employees, with BIS experts and qualified resource persons providing practical guidance. Bardhan emphasised that capacity building should be an ongoing exercise rather than a one-time initiative.
BIS Guidelines to Reach Departments and District Officials
To improve implementation, the Chief Secretary directed BIS to share important guidelines and updates regularly with all relevant departments. He also called for continued coordination with departmental secretaries.
BIS was further asked to make presentations during meetings with district magistrates so that standardisation and quality-related issues receive attention at the district level.
BIS CARE App: Check ISI Marks and Gold Jewellery HUID
Consumer awareness was another key focus of the meeting. Bardhan directed officials to promote the BIS CARE App to help people verify product certification and access information about quality standards.
The app allows consumers to check the authenticity of ISI marks and licence numbers. It also supports verification of R-Numbers for electronic products and Hallmark Unique Identification (HUID) numbers on gold jewellery.
Users can access information about Indian Standards, BIS offices and laboratories, and submit online complaints regarding suspected violations, counterfeit ISI marks and other irregularities.
Officials Attend Uttarakhand BIS Committee Meeting
Those present included Principal Secretary L. Fanei, BIS Deputy Director General (North) Deepak Kumar Singla, Director and DHBO Hemant B. Ade, Additional Secretaries Navneet Pandey, Ruchi Mohan Ryal and Jharna Kamthan.
Representatives included Pankaj Gupta of the Industries Association of Uttarakhand, Dr Nawal Kishore Banjara of CSIR-CBRI Roorkee and Dr Ashutosh Sharma of IIT Roorkee, along with other officials.
