New Delhi: Television set-top boxes (STBs), electronic video games, laptops/notebooks/tablets, plasma/LCD/LED television sets and electronic musical systems are among the fifteen items that have been brought under a scheme for mandatory regime of registration.
This has been done under the Electronics and Information Technology Goods (Requirements for Compulsory Registration) Order 2012 issued by the Departments of Electronics and Information Technology so that these products meet specified safety standards.
The order will come into effect after six months of its publication in the official gazette. The said order has been issued under the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) Rules and Act.
The fifteen items include Electronic Games (Video); Laptop/Notebook/Tablets, Plasma /LCD /LED Televisions of screen size 32" & above; Optical Disc Players with built in amplifiers of input power 200W and above; Visual Display Units, Video Monitors of screen size 32" & above; Amplifiers with input power 2000W and above; Electronic Musical Systems with input power 200W and above; and Set Top Boxes.
In each case, an Indian Standard Number has been generated and the Title of Indian Standard has been specified.
As against licensing, the scheme provides for self-registration of specified electronic goods. The scheme provides that no person shall by himself or through any person on his behalf manufacture or store for sale, import, sell or distribute specified electronic goods which do not conform to the specified standard and do not bear the words "Self declaration - Conforming to IS (Relevant Indian Standard mentioned in column (3) of the Schedule) on such Goods after obtaining Registration from the BIS. Substandard or defective Goods which do not conform to the specified standard will be deformed beyond use by the manufacturer and disposed off as scrap. However, the order does not apply to electronic goods meant for export.
The scheme also provides that the electronic goods having different sizes, ratings, varieties etc, such goods shall be grouped and may be granted series approval for a Series of Products based on testing of representative models. The Department will approve such series of products. This will obviate the need for every single model of the same series to be registered.
The scheme also provides for the Department and the BIS to randomly select samples of registered electronic goods to ascertain whether these goods conform to the Specified Standard. The electronic goods have to be tested by BIS-approved testing laboratories. STQC has already initiated steps to get approval of its laboratories by BIS.
