Union Minister Ram Vilas Paswan Launches Online Registration and Renewal of Gold Hallmarking Centres

On 21st August, 2020 Union Minister for Consumer Affairs,Food & Public Distribution Ram Vilas Paswan virtually launched an online system for registration and renewal of licence of gold assaying and hallmarking (A&H) centres. The online system can be accessed through the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) web portal – www.manakonline.in.

Objective:

The online mode of registration & renewal will help in ease of doing business for the jewellers and entrepreneurs who have established hallmarking centres or want to do so in future.

Note:

The hallmarking of gold which is voluntary at present, will be made mandatory from 1st June, 2021.

Key Points:

i.Using the online system, the entrepreneurs can submit applications to set up new hallmarking centres or for renewal of existing licenses. At present, there are 921 Centres in 234 districts of the country.

ii.The entire process of recognition which includes audit of centres, submission of audit reports and grant of recognition or renewal has been automated.

iii.The online system will help in redressal of complaints regarding foul play in the Hallmarking of jewellery items. 

iv.BIS is working on a module to fully automate the work-flow of Assaying and Hallmarking Centres, which is expected to be ready by December, 2020.

‘One Nation One Standard scheme’:

The Department of Consumer Affairs is holding talks with various Ministries to launch One Nation One Standard scheme which will bring out standards for all products in the country.

Recent Related News:

i.On July 27, 2020 Union Minister for Consumer AffairsRam Vilas Paswan launched the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS)’s Mobile App, ‘BIS-Care’ to check the authenticity of the ISI and hallmarked products.

ii.On 11th May 2020, The Department of Consumer Affairs partnered with two tech startups Safe Job and Seekify to use the technology in the local Kirana store level to control the spread of COVID-19.

About Ministry for Consumer Affairs,Food & Public Distribution:
Union Minister – Ram Vilas Paswan.
Minister of State (MoS) – Raosaheb Patil Danve.