What is Global Quality Infrastructure Index

Why in news?

• The GQII ranks the 184 economies in the world based on quality infrastructure (QI).
• India’s overall QI system ranking continues to be in the Top 10 at the 10th position, with the standardization system (under BIS) at 9th and the metrology system (under NPL-CSIR) at the 21st position in the world.

What is GQII?

• The GQII is an initiative of the independent consulting firms Mesopartner and Analyticar to research and disseminate data on Quality Infrastructure.
• It measures the relative development of countries’ quality infrastructure.
• A formula calculates a score for each country based on its position in the sub-rankings for metrology, standards and accreditation.

Key facts about the Quality Council of India

• It was established in 1997 jointly by the Department for Promotion of Industry & Internal Trade (DPIIT), the Ministry of Commerce & Industry, and the Indian industry.
• It is registered as a non-profit organization under the Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860.
• It is operated through the constituent Boards of QCI, primarily the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies (NABCB), and the National Accreditation Board for Testing & Calibration Laboratories (NABL),
• Composition
  •  It is governed by a Council of 38 members with equal representations of government, industry and consumers.
  • The Chairman of QCI is appointed by the Prime Minister on the recommendation of the industry to the government.

Q1) What is the role of BIS?

It is the National Standard Body of India established under the BIS Act 2016 for the harmonious development of the activities of standardization, marking and quality certification of goods and for matters connected therewith or incidental thereto.

Source: India’s accreditation system ranked 5th globally; overall quality infrastructure system in the Top 1

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