The sale of gold jewellery and artefacts without a six-digit alphanumeric HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) will no longer be allowed from April 1st, the government announced on Friday.
The decision was made in a meeting chaired by Food and Consumer Affairs Minister Piyush Goyal to review the activities of the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS). In order to promote a culture of quality among micro scale units, BIS has decided to provide an 80% concession on the certification/minimum marking fee across various product certification schemes.
Gold hallmarking was previously voluntary in nature, but the government has made it mandatory in a phased manner across 288 districts. From April 1st, only gold jewellery with a HUID will be allowed to be sold. At present, four-digit and six-digit HUIDs are being used.
The HUID is a six-digit alphanumeric code consisting of numbers and letters and is stamped on every piece of jewellery at the Assaying & Hallmarking Centre (AHC). During the meeting, Goyal called for an increase in testing infrastructure in the country and for market surveillance of products such as pressure cookers and helmets.
He also instructed BIS to increase the number of Quality Control Orders (QCOs) from the current 462 to 663. Goyal said that the measures would “promote micro scale units, enhance the testing infrastructure, and develop a culture of quality consciousness among citizens.”
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