Introduction
An important aspect about the goods to be exported is
compulsory quality control and pre-shipment inspection. For this purpose, Export
Inspection Council (EIC) was set up by the Government of India under Section 3
of the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963. It includes more than
1000 commodities which are organized into various groups for a compulsory
pre-shipment inspection. It includes Food and Agriculture, Fishery, Minerals,
Organic and Inorganic Chemicals, Rubber Products, Refractoriness, Ceramic
Products, Pesticides, Light Engineering, Steel Products, Jute Products, Coir and
Coir Products, Footwear and Footwear Products.
An important aspect about the goods to be exported is
compulsory quality control and pre-shipment inspection. For this purpose, Export
Inspection Council (EIC) was set up by the Government of India under Section 3
of the Export (Quality Control and Inspection) Act, 1963. It includes more than
1000 commodities which are organized into various groups for a compulsory
pre-shipment inspection. It includes Food and Agriculture, Fishery, Minerals,
Organic and Inorganic Chemicals, Rubber Products, Refractoriness, Ceramic
Products, Pesticides, Light Engineering, Steel Products, Jute Products, Coir and
Coir Products, Footwear and Footwear Products.
ISI Certification
Indian Standards Institute now known as Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) is a
registered society under a Government of India. BIS main functions include the
development of technical standards, product quality and management system
certifications and consumer affairs. Founded by Professor P.C. Mahalanobis in
Kolkata on 17th December, 1931, the institute gained the status of an
Institution of National Importance by an act of the Indian Parliament in 1959.
AgMmark Certification
AgMark is an acronym for Agricultural Marketing and is used to certify the food
products for quality control. Agmark has been dominated by other quality
standards including the non manufacturing standard ISO 9000.
Benefits of ISI and Agmark Certification
Products having ISI Certification mark or Agmark are not required to be
inspected by any agency. These products do not fall within the purview of the
export inspection agencies network. The Customs Authorities allow export of such
goods even if not accompanied by any pre-shipment inspection certificate,
provided they are otherwise satisfied that the goods carry ISI Certification or
the Agmark.
In-Process Quality Control (IPQC)
In-Process Quality Control (IPQC) inspection is mainly done for engineering
products and is applied at the various stages of production. Units approved
under IPQC system of in-process quality control may themselves issue the
certificate of inspection, but only for the products for which they have been
granted IPQC facilities. The final certificate of inspection on the end-products
is then given without in-depth study at the shipment stage.
Self Certification Scheme
Under the self Certification Scheme, large exporters and manufacturers are
allowed to inspect their product without involving any other party. The facility
is available to manufacturers of engineering products, chemical and allied
products and marine products. Self-Certification is given on the basis that the
exporter himself is the best judge of the quality of his products and will not
allow his reputation to be spoiled in the international market by compromising
on quality. Self-Certification Scheme is granted to the exporter for the period
of one year. Exporters with proven reputation can obtain the permission for self
certification by submitting an application to the Director (Inspection and
Quality Control), Export Inspection Council of India, 11th Floor, Pragati Tower,
26 Rajendra Place, New Delhi.
ISO 9000
The discussion on inspection certificate and quality control is incomplete
without ISO-9000. Established in 1987, ISO 9000 is a series of international
standards that has been accepted worldwide as the norm assuring high quality of
goods. The current version of ISO 9000 is ISO 9000:2000.
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