Relevance: GS-III (Industry, MSMEs); GS-II (Regulatory Governance)
Source: Government notifications; Industry inputs
The government has withdrawn Quality Control Orders (QCOs) on 14 chemical and petrochemical raw materials after industry concerns that mandatory standards were increasing input costs and disrupting MSME supply chains.
What QCMs Are and Why They Were Introduced
Quality Control Measures (QCMs) make selected Indian Standards compulsory through BIS certification to prevent substandard imports and improve product quality.
However, rapid expansion of QCOs to low-risk industrial inputs raised:
- Higher compliance burden
- Delays due to foreign suppliers avoiding BIS inspections
- Increased production cost for MSMEs and exporters
Withdrawal and Its Implications
The rollback signals a shift to risk-based regulation, limiting mandatory certification to safety-critical products.
Key outcomes:
- Reduced compliance cost
- Easier sourcing and smoother trade
- Better alignment with global quality-regulation norms
- Support for manufacturing competitiveness and value-chain integration
| UPSC Value Box Quality Control Order (QCO): A mandatory notification making adherence to specific Indian Standards legally binding for manufacture, import, and sale. Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): National standards body enforcing QCOs under the BIS Act, 2016. |
Q. With reference to Quality Control Orders (QCOs), consider the following:
- They are issued under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act.
- They apply only to imported products.
- They make select standards compulsory.
How many statements are correct?
A. One only
B. Two only
C. All three
D. None
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