Working on 'one nation, one standard' policy: Paswan

New Delhi: Taking a cue from 'one nation, one tax', Union Consumer Affairs Minister Ram Vilas Paswan is mulling setting 'one nation, one standard' to ensure quality products and services to consumers.

While talking to reporters, Paswan said, "Like 'one nation, one ration card', we are going to have 'one nation, one standard' in order to ensure quality products in the country. There are multiple standards in the country for single product/service and the purpose is to converge such standards with the BIS which is a recognised national body for standardisation in India."

Currently, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the only national body that frames standards. It has come out with over 20,000 standards for various products and services so far. There are also about 50-odd agencies that have framed about 400 standards in the country. The Union Minister further said, "The BIS frames standards and cannot regulate its implementation. The concerned department should monitor or a separate regulator needs to be set up the idea which has been mooted by the government think tank Niti Aayog."

Elaborating, Consumer Affairs Secretary Avinash K Srivastava said, "Other departments have their own standards such as the Food Safety and Standards Authority (FSSAI) has set standards on food, while Automobile Research Organisation of India makes standards for the automobile sector." "These standards need to be converged with BIS and redesignate them as one. This will help in easy implementation and monitoring of standards," Srivastava said.

On the occasion, BIS Deputy Director-General Rajesh Bajaj said that the entire process would take time and it would depend on how soon other agencies are willing to converge with BIS.