New Delhi: In its commitment to ensure 100% quality regime in steel sector, Ministry of Steel has issued two Quality Control orders namely Steel and Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2018 and Stainless Steel Products (Quality Control) Order, 2018 vide Notification No S.O 2998 (E) and S.O. 2999 (E) respectively dated 20th June 2018. As a result, 16 more steel products have been brought under the ambit of quality control order. Prior to this, 34 carbon steel products and 3 stainless steel products were notified by the Ministry. In effect, these orders now cover 50 carbon steel and 3 stainless steel products, which have direct bearing on human health and are critical to safety and security of infrastructure, housing, engineering application and public at large. By implementing these orders, around 85-90% of steel and steel products consumed in the country would be covered under Quality Control Orders (QCO).
Ministry of Steel has decided to cover Tin Plates (IS: 1993), used in food, food additives, drug and medicines, under the mandatory quality control regime and the process is being initiated. Tin plate is largely used in packaging of food and food additives as well as drugs and medicines and beverages besides other non-critical, non-food applications. The Ministry is also considering bringing the remaining steel products under QCO in consultation with stakeholders in a phased manner.
In terms of the above notification, the notified steel items cannot be produced, sold, traded, imported and stocked unless they bear BIS Mark. Domestic manufacturers of these items have to obtain BIS certification mark licences. Foreign suppliers willing to supply these items to India will have to obtain BIS registration.
Government of India is concerned about reasonably large production and import of inferior quality of steel getting delivered to important end use segments such as power distribution, human health and safety of infrastructure and construction.
