The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has notified 187 Quality Control Orders (QCOs) covering 769 products under compulsory certification, reinforcing efforts to ensure product quality and safety across various sectors. Currently, around 23,000 Indian Standards are in force, with compliance made mandatory for certain products by the relevant government regulators and line ministries. These mandatory standards prioritise public interest, environmental safety, health protection, prevention of unfair trade practices, and national security. The QCOs mandate the use of the BIS Standard Mark under a valid license from BIS. The full list of products under compulsory certification is available on the BIS website. Additionally, two key horizontal QCOs have been issued: Safety of Household, Commercial, and Similar Electrical Appliances (Quality Control) Order, 2024: Issued by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT), this order covers electrical appliances with rated voltages up to 250V (single-phase AC) or 415V (three-phase AC) that aren’t covered by any other QCO under the BIS Act. Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024: Issued by the Ministry of Heavy Industries, this order mandates BIS certification for 20 categories of machinery, electrical equipment, and their components. The implementation of QCOs depends on the requirements of respective line ministries and departments, which consult with BIS to bring products under mandatory certification through the BIS Act, 2016. Of the 22,689 Indian Standards currently in force, 10,300 align with existing ISO/IEC standards. Notably, 93.3% of these — 9,616 standards — have already been harmonized with international norms. This information was shared by Shri B.L. Verma, Union Minister of State for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, in a written reply to the Lok Sabha. (PIB)