Published on: December 14, 2022

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS)

Why in news? BIS issues standards for organizations publishing consumer reviews. The standard prescribes specific responsibilities for the review author and the review administrator

Highlights

  • Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standard Body of India, has published an Indian Standard, IS 19000:2022,Online Consumer Reviews – Principles and Requirements for their Collection, Moderation and Publication’.

What is the main aim of the standard?

  • It provides requirements and recommendations for the principles and methods for review administrators to apply in their collection, moderation and publication of online consumer reviews.
  • Applicable to any organization that publishes consumer reviews online, including suppliers/sellers of products and services that collect reviews from their own customers, a third-party contracted by the suppliers/sellers or an independent third party.

Why this standard is important ?

  • Lays down the process to demonstrates the commitment of consumer review and provide reviews that can be trusted.
  • It would help building confidence among consumers to purchase goods online and help them take better purchase decisions.
  • The standard is expected to benefit all stakeholders in the e-commerce ecosystem, i.e. consumers, e-commerce platforms, sellers etc.
  • Reviews posted online influencing purchase decisions and consumers exceedingly rely on reviews to see the opinion and experience of users who have already purchased the goods or services
  • It helps to build confidence in the quality, integrity, accuracy and transparency of reviews.

About Bureau of Indian Standards

  • It is the National Standards Body of India
  • Parent Organization : Department of Consumer affairs Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, Government of India.
  • Statue: Established by the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016
  • Members: It has 25 members drawn from Central or State Governments, industry, scientific and research institutions, and consumer organisation
  • Headquarters : New Delhi
  • Director General: Pramod Kumar Tiwari, IAS
  • Founder member of International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
  • International Organization : It represents in the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and the World Standards Service Network (WSSN).
  • For Indian manufacturers : Product Certifications are to be obtained voluntarily.
  • For, some of the products like Milk powder, Drinking Water, LPG Cylinders, etc certification is mandatory.
  • Foreign manufacturers : Intend to export to India also may obtain a BIS product certification license.