Gold Hallmarking: No extension of HUID scheme, will ensure credibility, says BIS

In a video interaction with journalists, Pramod Kumar Tiwari, Director General of the Bureau for Indian Standards (BIS), ruled out any extension for implementing the HUID scheme. A report by Krishnanand Tripathi.

New Delhi:Bureau for Indian Standards has rejected the jewelers’ complaint of experiencing delays in issue of HUID certificate for jewellery items sent by them to the authorised centres saying that there was no capacity constraints at the BSI recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centres (AHCs) as more than one crore jewellery items have been hallmarked in the last 50 days.

In a video interaction with journalists, Pramod Kumar Tiwari, Director General of the Bureau for Indian Standards (BIS), ruled out any extension for implementing the HUID scheme.

Several jewellers associations have called for a one-day token strike on Monday to protest against the compulsory requirement to have an unique hallmarking ID, known as Hallmarking Unique ID or HUID, on the jewellery sold by them.

Jewellers complain that the process was cumbersome and time-consuming as BIS recognised centres (AHCs) were taking 5-10 days to return the jewellery sent by them. Jewellers also complain that HUID is a tracking mechanism and it has nothing to do with the purity of the gold.

“It's a grand success. You could not have imagined a better outcome. In just fifty days of implementation of the scheme, more than 1 crore pieces have been hallmarked. The country doesn't have stomach for more than 10 crore jewellery pieces in a year,” Tiwari told reporters.

“At this rate we will be able hallmark all the jewellery items will be hallmarked,” he said.

Tiwari said the last meeting with industry and consumer representatives was held on Thursday, which was attended by 40 associations comprising not only jewellers and wholesalers but also buyers and manufacturers as well.

“We addressed all their concerns, not a single issue remain unaddressed,” asserted the top BIS officer.

Ensuring credibility of hallmarking

Tiwari said once the government has implemented the hallmarking of jewellery then it was duty bound to ensure that there was not fake hallmarking and all the hallmarking certificates issued by the Centres were genuine.

“Just by submitting the HUID on BIS Care App, a consumer will be able to see the details of a hallmarked jewellery such as the name of the Centre, the name of the retailer, purity of the jewellery item and when it was issued among other things,” he told reporters. “HUID is the instrument which ensures the credibility of the hallmarking.”

“Once HUID is attached to a jewellery then can check in real time about the hallmarking and whether every process was followed or not as every stage is recorded in the system,” he added.

Tiwari also assured that the BIS will extend possible support to jewllers, including smaller retailers and jewellers for smooth roll out of the HUID scheme.

Crackdown on fake hallmarking

Tiwari said though the focus was on handholding of jewellers by organising workshops and training session for the first two-three months but enforcement operations have not been completely stopped.

“We are not doing surveillance operations till the month (August) end. We are not visiting jewellers showrooms. But enforcement is an ongoing process and it will continue,” he said.

In response to a question, top BIS official confirmed that licence of BIS recognised Assaying and Hallmarking Centre was suspended in Delhi’s Chandni Chowk area.

“The action have been against in the South also. There are 10-12 fake hallmarking centres who have been acted against,” he added.

No threat to consumer privacy

In response to question by ETV Bharat, Tiwari said there was no threat to privacy of the customers as HUID linked information displayed in the BIS Care App will not have customer’s name and other details.

“This part of HUID has not been implemented right now but once it is implemented then by putting six digit alpha-numeric HUID, a customer will be able to see some basic information about the jewellery piece,” he said.

“A customer will be able to see the name of the entity who got the hallmarking done, the purity of the jewellery and centre that conducted the hallmarking,” he told ETV Bharat.

Tiwari said HUID will empower the customers and enable them to file complaints by providing relevant information of an item having HUID.

“In my view, there will be no privacy issue,” he added.