Centre invites applications for test centres under legal metrology rules
- 3 hours ago
- 2 min read
The Department of Consumer Affairs has opened applications for eligible organisations seeking recognition as Government Approved Test Centres (GATCs), which verify commercial weighing and measuring equipment used in trade across the country.
Applications can be submitted through the department’s online portal at emaap.gov.in/gatc until 31 August 2026 at 5pm IST. The application window opened on 17 August 2026.
Industries, laboratories, engineering colleges, polytechnics, industrial training institutes and testing facilities are eligible to apply under the Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2013, according to the department.
The department said 51 GATCs have already been recognised. It is expanding the network to give businesses greater access to verification facilities closer to their locations, reducing turnaround time for compliance.
Verification scope
Following recent amendments to the GATC Rules, recognised centres can verify and re-verify equipment across 23 categories covering healthcare, energy, transport, retail, manufacturing and infrastructure sectors.
The categories include water meters, clinical thermometers, blood pressure monitors, automatic rail weighbridges, non-automatic weighing instruments, load cells, beam scales, energy meters, vehicle speed meters, breath analysers and flow meters.
Fuel dispensing equipment has been added to the scope in the recent expansion. Recognised GATCs can now verify petrol, diesel, CNG, LPG, LNG and hydrogen dispensers. The department said this will strengthen verification capacity for fuel dispensing systems and support accurate measurement in fuel transactions.
The expansion addresses a practical constraint for businesses. Currently, manufacturers, traders and users rely primarily on limited departmental facilities for verification of weighing and measuring equipment. With more approved centres, the department expects businesses will have easier access to verification services.
State Legal Metrology Departments will also benefit from the expansion, according to the department. With more approved centres handling verification services, state officials can direct resources towards market surveillance, enforcement and consumer grievance redressal.
Applicant organisations must have testing and calibration equipment traceable to national standards, qualified technical personnel and infrastructure specified under the GATC Rules. The online portal allows applicants to submit applications, pay fees digitally and track application status without visiting government offices.
The full list of equipment categories eligible for GATC verification includes weights of all categories, counter machines, tape measures, gas meters, moisture meters and multi-dimensional measuring instruments. The department said accurate commercial measurements are essential for fair transactions and consumer confidence.
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