·
India
celebrated World Metrology Day 2026 on 20 May 2026, marking the 151st anniversary of the Metre Convention
of 1875.
·
The
2026 theme was:
o “Metrology: Building Trust in Policy
Making”.
·
Ancient
India had advanced measurement systems, including:
o length, weight, and capacity measurements,
o body-based measurements,
o and binary, decimal, and octonary
numerical systems.
·
The
Indus Valley Civilization developed highly standardized systems supporting:
o urban planning,
o trade,
o and architecture.
·
During
the Maurya Empire, organized weights and measures systems were introduced for:
o administration,
o taxation,
o and trade regulation.
·
Sher
Shah Suri standardized weights and measures and introduced the Rupiya coin,
precursor to the modern rupee.
·
National
Physical Laboratory was established in 1947 and became custodian of India’s
national measurement standards.
·
India
adopted the:
o International System of Units
during
1957–58 for internationally standardized measurements.
·
The:
o Standards of Weights and Measures Act,
1956
established
a uniform scientific measurement system nationwide.
·
The
1976 amendments introduced:
o regulation of interstate trade,
o standardization of measuring instruments,
o establishment of the Indian Institute of
Legal Metrology,
o and penalties for violations.
·
The:
o Legal Metrology Act, 2009
modernized
India’s legal metrology framework and became effective from April 2011.
·
Mandatory
use of:
o metric and standardized measurement units
across India.
·
Mandatory
verification and stamping of weights and measures before commercial use.
·
Regulation
of:
o weighing instruments,
o packaged commodities,
o fuel dispensers,
o medical instruments,
o telecom systems,
o and semiconductor manufacturing.
·
Mandatory
declarations on packaged goods including:
o quantity,
o MRP,
o manufacturing date,
o and manufacturer details.
·
Seven
major rules govern various metrology activities, including:
o General Rules,
o Packaged Commodities Rules,
o Approval of Models Rules,
o National Standards Rules,
o Numeration Rules,
o Indian Institute of Legal Metrology Rules,
o and Government Approved Test Centre Rules.
·
In
October 2025, the scope of:
o Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs)
was
expanded to cover 18 categories of instruments including:
o water meters,
o gas meters,
o energy meters,
o and sphygmomanometers.
·
The:
o Jan Vishwas Amendment Act, 2023
decriminalized
seven sections of the Legal Metrology Act by replacing imprisonment with
monetary penalties in selected cases.
·
The:
o Jan Vishwas Amendment Act, 2026
introduced:
o “improvement notices”
allowing
MSMEs to correct procedural lapses before penalties are imposed.
·
These
reforms aim to:
o improve ease of doing business,
o reduce compliance burden,
o and encourage voluntary compliance.
·
The:
o eMaap portal
was
launched to provide:
o online registrations,
o verification services,
o and digital governance under Legal
Metrology.
·
The
platform integrates:
o Central and State Legal Metrology systems.
·
India
launched:
o “One Nation, One Time”
to
disseminate Indian Standard Time with:
o millisecond-to-microsecond accuracy.
·
The
initiative is being implemented by:
o Department of Consumer Affairs,
o National Physical Laboratory,
o and Indian Space Research Organisation.
·
It
aims to support:
o banking,
o telecommunications,
o AI,
o IoT,
o power grids,
o and national security systems.
·
India
became the:
o 13th country globally
authorized
to issue:
o OIML approval certificates
for
weighing and measuring instruments.
·
The
recognition strengthens:
o exports,
o global trade participation,
o and India’s role in international
metrology governance.
·
Metrology
contributes to multiple:
o United Nations Sustainable Development
Goals including:
§ poverty reduction,
§ healthcare,
§ clean energy,
§ industrial innovation,
§ and climate action.
·
India’s
metrology framework is evolving to support:
o digital governance,
o transparent trade,
o and consumer-centric regulation.
·
New
rules will introduce:
o country-of-origin disclosures
for
e-commerce platforms effective from:
o 1 July 2027.
·
The
reforms aim to:
o strengthen consumer confidence,
o improve measurement accuracy,
o and support ease of doing business.