India can now issue OIML certificates: What this means, its significance

• Recently, the Union Consumer Affairs Secretary announced that India has become an OIML certificate-issuing authority.
• The Legal Metrology Division, Department of Consumer Affairs, is now authorized to issue OIML certificates.

OIML or International Organisation of Legal Metrology

• Established in 1955, the OIML is an international standard-setting body in the field of legal metrology.
• It develops model regulations, standards and related documents for use by legal metrology authorities and industry.
• It plays a crucial role in harmonising national laws and regulations on the performance of measuring instruments.
• Headquarters: Paris
• India became a member of the OIML in 1956.
  • In the same year, India signed the metric convention.

OIML Certificate

• With the addition of India, the number of countries authorized to issue OIML certificates has increased to 13.
• It is a single certificate accepted worldwide.
• It is a system for issuing, registering and using OIML certificates and their associated OIML-type evaluation/test reports for instruments like digital balances, clinical thermometers, etc.

Significance for Indian Economy

• The move is expected to help the Indian economy in several ways, including
  • an increase in exports
  • reducing redundancy
  • saving resources
  • earning of foreign exchange
  • generation of employment

Prelims Takeaway

• OIML Certificate
• OIML