Shopian, May 16: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, organized a Consumer Awareness Programme at Town Hall, Municipal Office Shopian, in collaboration with the Municipal Committee Shopian, to educate consumers about their rights, product quality standards, and recent quality control order initiatives.
The programme witnessed active participation from members of civil society, traders, local consumers, students, and other stakeholders. During the event, Sh. Saaqib Rahi, Scientist-C and Deputy Director, BIS-JKBO, delivered a detailed presentation highlighting various BIS initiatives aimed at consumer protection and quality assurance.
The main objective of the programme was to create awareness among consumers regarding BIS certification marks and quality standards applicable to manufactured products. BIS officials emphasized the importance of certification marks such as the ISI Mark, Hallmarking for jewellery, and the CRS Mark, which enable consumers to identify safe, reliable, and quality-assured products.
Addressing the gathering, Ashish Kumar Dwivedi, Standard Promotion Officer, BIS-JKBO, informed participants about various quality standards and mandatory certification requirements prescribed under BIS regulations. He urged consumers to remain vigilant while purchasing products and to always verify the authenticity of certification marks before making any purchase.
A special demonstration of the BIS Care App was also conducted during the programme. Officials explained how consumers can use the mobile application to verify whether a product is genuine or counterfeit.
Syed Sanjeeda, Resource Person, demonstrated the features of the BIS Care App and informed participants that consumers can also register grievances and complaints through the application against fake or substandard products available in the market.
Participants appreciated the initiative and stated that the programme provided valuable information regarding the identification of genuine and duplicate products. They emphasized the need for conducting such awareness programmes regularly so that consumers in both rural and urban areas can make informed purchasing decisions and gain access to quality-assured products.
On the occasion, BIS officials specifically advised consumers to check for the ISI Mark while purchasing products such as geysers, helmets, gas stoves, and pressure cookers, warning that products without proper certification may pose serious safety risks.
The programme concluded with BIS officials reiterating their commitment towards consumer protection and urging citizens to make full use of the BIS Care App for product verification and grievance redressal.
The event was attended by President Traders Union Shopian, Mushtaq Ahmad, along with President of Civil Society Shopian, Mansoor Magray, besides prominent citizens and participants from different sections of society.
