New Delhi, July 27: Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan on Monday launched a mobile app BIS-Care, which consumers can use for checking the authenticity of ISI and hallmark quality certified products.

The minister also launched three portals of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) on standardisation, conformity assessment and training, which consumers and stakeholders can login through www.manakonline.in. Also Read | Realme V5 Smartphone to Be Launched on August 3; Check Expected Prices, Features, Variants & Specifications.

The BIS is the national standards setting body in the country. So far, it has set 20,866 standards and mandatory standards for 358 products. The ISI mark is a standards-compliance mark for industrial products in India since 1955.

Hallmark is quality certification for gold jewellery. After the launch, Paswan said the government has taken several steps to protect the interests of consumers. Also Read | 'Rozgar Bazar' Job Portal Launched by Delhi Government: Here's How to Register, Sign Up and Apply for Jobs Online at jobs.delhi.gov.in.

On BIS-Care mobile app, consumers can check the authenticity of ISI and hallmark quality certified products and lodge complaints. The mobile app, in Hindi and English, can be operated on any Android phone and can be downloaded free from Google play store.

To enforce the implementation of standards, the minister said BIS is strengthening its capacity of enforcement by implementation of electronic-BIS, an integrated portal covering all its functions - enlisting the services of outside agencies for factory and market surveillance, and development of mobile app-based and artificial intelligence-enabled surveillance methods.

It is important to ensure that consumers are aware of the standards and quality products and become a part of our efforts to eliminate the supply of sub-standard products, he added.

Paswan also mentioned that the BIS is developing a portal on 'Consumer Engagement', which will facilitate the online registration of consumer groups, submission of proposals and approval thereof, and complaint management.

About 'One Nation, One Standard', the minister said that the BIS has formulated a scheme for the recognition of other standard development organisations in the country with the objective of harmonisation of standard formulation.

"It is under examination and will be launched soon," he said. In a statement separately, the minister said the government's thrust on the use of non-tariff barriers to regulate export and import and highlighted the role BIS was playing in the formulation of quality control orders to make the standards mandatory.

The BIS has actively collaborated with various ministries and departments to help them issue QCOs for 368 products and work on the formulating QCOs for 239 products is in progress, he said. "After standards become mandatory, manufacturers, both domestic and foreign, have to comply with them," he added.

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