CAG seeks mandatory hallmarking for gold jewellery

The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) of India has advised the government to make hallmarking of gold jewellery mandatory, in order to protect consumers from unscrupulous jewelers.

Hallmarking of gold, a purity certification of the precious metal, administered by the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), is a present voluntary.

''The consumer affairs ministry and BIS may consider hallmarking of gold jewellery under mandatory certification so as to safeguard the interest of the consumers,'' CAG said in a report tabled in Parliament.

Since the standardisation is optional at present, consumers are exposed to the risk of buying impure gold jewellery, it noted in a report.

The BIS Act had not been amended to cover hallmarking mandatory.

''Since it (BIS) is the national standard body of the country and is mandated to provide quality assurance to the consumers, whether the concerned standard is made mandatory or not.''

The cabinet had, in January, approved the BIS (Amendment) Bill that aims to expand the ambit of mandatory hallmarking to include more products, including gold, but has not yet introduced it in Parliament.