Working group proposes allowing use of customary weights, measures units

A working group under the high-level committee on non-financial regulatory reforms (HLC-NFRR) headed by former cabinet secretary and NITI Aayog member Rajiv Gauba has proposed to allow use of “customary and supplemental” units like feet, yards and dozen for weights and measures, which are not legally recognised under the current law.

According to sources, the Working Group-6, under the HLC-NFRR has proposed amendments in the various Sections of the Legal Metrology Act-2009, the existing law, which establishes and enforces “standards of weights and measures, regulate trade and commerce in weights, measures and other goods which are sold or distributed by weight, measure or number…”

The current law recognises standard weights and measures based on the international metric system of units like metre, kilogram and second.

The proposed changes are part of the “Draft areas of reforms for discussion” prepared by the Working Group and circulated by the HLC-NFRR on Friday, seeking comments of stakeholders concerned.

The Gauba-led HLC-NFRR will discuss these proposals during its meeting on Legal Metrology Regulations on December 2.

Arguing in favour of allowing “use of customary and supplemental units for weights and measures even if selectively”, the Working Group is learnt to have conveyed that the present law “restricts the ability of manufactures to use units which are familiar to the consumer”. It has flagged five Sections (5, 6, 7, 8, and 12) of the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 for making the required changes.

The Group has proposed two recommendations: “Publish a list of customary units that may be used for a select set of transactions eg: feet, yards, dozen… Recognise the right of the manufacturers to use non-standard units as supplementary statements.”

The Act recognises the international system of units standard weights and measures.

“Every unit of weight or measure shall be in accordance with the metric system based on the international system of units,” states Section 4 of the Act.

The Section 5 of the Act, which deals with Base unit of weights and measures, states: “(1) The base unit of (i) length shall be the metre; (ii) mass shall be the kilogram; (iii) time shall be the second; (iv) electric current shall be the ampere; (v) thermodynamic temperature shall be the kelvin; (vi) luminous intensity shall be the candela; and (vii) amount of substance shall be the mole. (2) The specifications of the base units mentioned in sub-section (1), derived units and other units shall be such as may be prescribed.”

Section 6 of the law states that the base unit of numeration shall be the unit of the international form of Indian numerals. As per the Section 7, the base units of weights and measures specified in Section 5 shall be the standard units of weights and measures and the base unit of numeration specified in Section 6 shall be the standard unit of numeration.

As per the Section 8, “no weight, measure or numeral, other than the standard weight, measure or numeral, shall be used as a standard weight, measure or numeral”.

The Section 12 declares use of “custom, usage, etc., contrary to standard weight, measure or numeration” as void.

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