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New Delhi : Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Ashwini Kuma Choubey in written reply to a question in Lok Sabha on December 15, 2021, informed that a number of government organisations have applied to Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) for recognition under the BIS scheme of Standards Development Organisations (SDOs). The Research Design and Standards Organisation (RDSO), Ministry of Railways, has been granted the first recognition under the Scheme for Recognition of SDOs in the country.

At present, there are a number of domain specific Standards Developing Organisations (SDOs) in the country that develop standards in their respective areas. With increasing convergence of technologies, there is also a need for better coordination of work among all standardisation bodies in the country working in different sectors, Choubey said.

As per BIS Act, 2016, BIS may recognise or accredit any institution in India or outside which is engaged in standardisation. As the National Standards Body, it is the responsibility of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) to ensure that there is synergy in the standardisation work taking place in the country and that there is no overlap or duplication of the work carried out by other Standards Developing Bodies.

With the objective of ensuring one national standard for one subject in the country, BIS has launched a scheme for recognition of SDO’s as the umbrella organization for steering India’s standardisation efforts, by recognising these bodies and wherever necessary, recognising the standards developed by these bodies as Indian Standards, the Minister added, according to a PIB release.