Madras High Court stays BIS clause from operation

Pursuant to a writ petition filed by the Coimbatore Jewellery Manufacturers Association against a clause in the Bureau of Indian Standards Act (BIS), the Madras High Court recently stayed the clause from operation, reports say. The clause placed jewellers responsible for the purity of hallmarked gold jewellery and liable to make monetary compensation for impure gold.

The Association’s senior counsel argued that it was the jewellery manufacturers and hallmarking centres who are responsible for purity of the ornaments and not the jewellers.

The Association was bitter that the BIS directed its rules towards the jewellery retailers and warns to cancel the BIS license incase of impure gold jewellery, when infact it was the responsibility of the hallmarking centres and manufacturers, who also place impure gold jewellery as pure 916-grade gold, reports add. The Association also noted that the hallmarking centres were conducting unhealthy practice of not adhering to the BIS rules and regulations, and the need was for more fool-proof procedures in hallmarking to protect the interests of the jewelers who may also be mere traders and who depend on the hallmarking centres for correct information.

BIS had issued the Policy of Licensing of Jewellers in May this year, stating the jewellers were fully responsible for the declared purity of the hallmarked gold articles.