In its year-end review for the period April 2023 to November 2023, the Department of Consumer Affairs (DoCA) under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution has announced that it has extended the mandatory hallmarking of gold jewellery and artefacts to 343 districts across the country, where at least one Assaying and Hallmarking Centre (AHC) is present. The move is aimed at ensuring the quality and purity of gold jewellery and protecting the interests of consumers.
According to the DoCA, the number of hallmarking registrations has increased 15% from 1,60,866 to 1,84,296, while the number of BIS-recognised AHCs has increased 7% from 1403 to 1499 since April 2023. During the same period, 10.39 crore articles of gold and silver jewellery and artefacts have been hallmarked.
The DoCA also said that a new online system for the automation of the assaying and hallmarking activities at AHCs was made functional since July 2021, with a new hallmark consisting of a six-digit Hallmarking Unique ID (HUID). Since the launch of the HUID-based system, 30.54 crore articles of gold jewellery and artefacts have been hallmarked as on 25th November 2023.
The Government has also permitted hallmarking of gold bullion in the fineness of 999 and 995 as per IS 1417:2016 since October 2015. So far, 50 licences have been granted to refineries and India Government Mint for gold bullion and coin.
The Government has also launched the Gold Monetisation Scheme in November 2015, under which 48 AHCs and one jeweller have been qualified to act as Collection and Purity Testing Centres (CPTC).
The DoCA said that it has also provided central assistance to three AHCs for setting up the centre in deficient locations, and conducted one training programme for BIS officers under the Plan Scheme for Hallmarking.