Magazine: “Weights & The Society” Volume: 06 & Issue No.: 1

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Logo of SWPIMagazine: Weights & The Society

(Volume: 06  & Issue No.: 1)

Published by Shanker Wire Products Industries

         

GOLDEN JUBILEE CELEBRATIONS OF METRIC SYSTEM IN INDIA

“Legal Metrology – Achievements of India and what it can offer to others.”

Article by:

Sri P.A Krishnamurthy,

Former Director, Legal Metrology, Government of India.      

INTRODUCTION:

The field of ‘Legal Metrology’ or Weights and Measures’ as is known in the common parlance, is the field where measurements are regulated by Government laws for the benefit of all stakeholders. The main object of such regulation is to ensure standardized procedures for calibration acceptable to all stakeholders, transparency in the whole procedure, and accountability of the measurement results.    

THE LAWS OF LEGAL METROLOGY IN INDIA:

Regulation of Weights and Measures were implemented in the early stages of post-independence through the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1956, and the standards of Weights and Measures Enforcement Acts of the States and Union Territories. These Acts required the adoption of the metric systems in basic units of mass, length, and volume units in commercial transactions and ensuring verification of certain basic commercial weights and measures weighing and measuring instruments used in mass, length, and volume. The specification of the commercial weights and measures were prepared by the Metric Committee of the then Indian Standards Institution (BIS) and notified in the form of Rules under the Enforcement Act. The metrication and regulation of such rudimentary weights and measures were achieved fairly well by the dedicated enforcement agency throughout the county and in the process, fairly uniform procedures for the regulation of these measuring instruments were achieved with regard to the licensing policy of their manufacture, sale, and repair. Continue reading “Magazine: “Weights & The Society” Volume: 06 & Issue No.: 1″