Context: Recently, the Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution virtually launched the online system of Registration and Renewal of Jewellers and online system of recognition and renewal of the Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.
About One Nation One Standard

• According to the Union Consumer Affairs Minister, the government is working on setting a ‘One nation, one standard’ system to ensure quality products and services to consumers.

Current system

• 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.
• There are multiple standards in India today for the same product or service.
• The BIS only frames standards and cannot regulate its implementation.
• The purpose of the ‘one nation one standard’ scheme is to converge such standards with the BIS which is a recognised national body for standardisation in the country.

Need

Currently, various departments have their own standards, like the FSSAI for food products, the Automobile Research Organisation of India for the automobile sector and so on.

• These standards need to be converged with BIS and redesignated as one to help in easy implementation and monitoring of standards.
• However, the entire process will take time and it will depend on how soon other agencies are willing to converge with BIS.
• The NITI Aayog has also suggested the setting up of a separate regulator to monitor the implementation of the standards.
• Bringing all standards under one roof will additionally help the country to ensure that imported products also subscribe to Indian standards. Currently, under 10% of all imported goods adhere to BIS standards.

About Bureau of Indian Standards

• BIS is established as the National Standards Body of India under the BIS Act, 2016.
• It is under the aegis of Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution.
• Objective: Harmonious development of activities of Standardisation, marking and quality certification of goods.
• The standards and certification scheme support various public policies especially in areas of providing safe reliable quality goods; minimizing health hazards to consumers; promoting exports and imports substitute; control over proliferation of varieties etc. through standardization, certification and testing.