The council has received communication from the Deputy Secretary, Trade Policy Division, Dept of Commerce, GoI informing us about formulation of Draft Indian National Strategy for Standards (INSS).
You will appreciate that importance of 'standards' in trade in goods and services is fast becoming critical for the domestic as well as international trade. Often, regulators in foreign markets mandate standards and conformity assessment procedures as a pre-condition for the trade. These rules determine both domestic and trans-border trade.
The concerns over the impact of standards and technical regulations as non-tariff barriers (NTBs) in global trade are important for a developing country like India.
Understanding the implications of standards in domestic / international trade is, therefore, very important for the Central Government Ministries, State Government's as well as the Industry.
Upgrading to international standards, making standards mandatory, creating requisite infrastructural facilities like testing, certification, trace-back, packaging and labelling as well as schemes for promoting adherence to international standards can go a long way in meeting challenges that are employed by a country under Sanitary and Phyto-sanitary Agreement (SPS) and Technical Barriers to Trade Agreement (TBT) of WTO.
In this backdrop, Department of Commerce has been engaged in organizing various standards conclaves since 2014 so as to address various issues concerning regulatory eco-system in the country in a structured manner. Till now, 4 national and 10 regional standard conclaves have been organized across different cities in the country, where various stakeholders, like producers/exporters of agricultural, marine products along with those in industrial goods and services have participated and shared their problems and suggestions.
During the last (4th National Standards Conclave, 1-2 May 2017 at New Delhi), a draft strategy paper titled Indian National Standards Strategy (INSS) that was prepared as an outcome of last four years activities was discussed. The draft was also subsequently discussed with subject experts on various other fora, and now, a draft final strategy document has been readied.
Key objectives of this draft strategy are following:
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Adopting best practices in standardization, conformity assessment, and technical regulations, and creating an integrated infrastructure, roadmaps and institutions for their effective management.
The draft document on Indian National Strategy for Standards (INSS) is enclosed herewith for your reference.
We look forward to your comment/ inputs by 24/03/2018 on e-mail ids- ed@chemexcil.gov.in and deepak.gupta@chemexcil.gov.in .
Your timely replies will be appreciated and enable us consolidate the responses and submit to TPD, MOC by the stipulated deadline of 30/03/2018 for consideration.
Thanking you ,
Yours faithfully,
(S.G. BHARADI)
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
CHEMEXCIL
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