India Reforms Metrology Law for Consumer Protection & Business: Rediff Moneynews

New Delhi, Sep 16 (PTI) The Centre has introduced several reforms to the legal metrology law, including decriminalising around 20 sections to ease doing business and now the focus is on ensuring compliance to protect consumers’ interests, Consumer Affairs Secretary Nidhi Khare said on Wednesday.

The Legal Metrology Act 2009, was enacted to establish and enforce standards of weights and measures in India. The Act incorporates advancements in technology, modern trade practices, and evolving standards of measurement and standardisation.

Addressing an event organised by industry body PHDCCI, she said the States have been asked to engage with the industry to propagate reforms undertaken by the Centre in the law.

Khare said the legal metrology should not be considered as an “inspector kind of a very strict, inflexible system” but emphasised one should be sensitive to the accuracy of the measures.

She highlighted that the Department of Consumer Affairs has introduced the ‘Improvement Notice’ mechanism under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026.

Under the new mechanism, she said the companies would be given an opportunity to rectify the deficiencies and non-compliance of the rules before initiating penal proceedings.

The Act, which was implemented with effect from April 1, 2011, seeks to regulate trade and commerce of goods sold by weight, measure, or number through a modern legal framework.

“I have asked all the states to engage on a very regular basis with all our manufacturing sector, trade and commerce sector, because we need to understand where are the difficulties, What more can we do?,” Khare said.

Talking about the reforms, the secretary said 20 sections under the legal metrology law have been decriminalized.

The Department is strengthening the country’s Legal Metrology verification infrastructure through the expanding network of Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs). As many as 51 GATCs have been recognised so far.

“We have brought a new provision of improvement notices for very small aberration. So, in the first case of any discovery of a violation, the authority would provide a notice to improve,” Khare said.

“If even after giving of improvement notices, the business does not care or does not improve, then the system of imposing penalties will start. Again, the penalties are also graded,” she said, adding that penalties are proportionate to the violation that one has committed.

Even the Central Consumer Protection Authority (CCPA) is very sensitive and penalties are graded.

Taking examples, she said cab aggregator Rapido was imposed the highest penalty of Rs 10 lakhs because they were charging advance tip, while only Rs 10,000 penalty was imposed to a restaurant charging service charge.

“So we are very very sensitive to ensuring that the penalties are graded. They should justify the wrong which was done, and it is easier for people to comply,” Khare said, as she emphasised the need to deepen the engagement with manufacturers, trade and commerce.

The secretary said that there has to be an appreciation of accurate measure for liquid, solid, and gas.