Quality Control Order 2023 for Hinges

The Ministry of Commerce and Industry has recently enacted the "Hinges (Quality Control) Order, 2023." This directive mandates that all products classified as hinges must comply with specified Indian Standards and display the ISI Mark, which necessitates obtaining a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) under Scheme-1 of Schedule-II to the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. The order will take effect six months from its publication in the official gazette.

The stipulated Indian Standards include:

IS 12817:2020 for Stainless Steel Butt Hinges

IS 1341:2018 for Steel Butt Hinges

IS 205:1992 for Non-ferrous Metal Butt Hinges

IS 206:2010 for Tee and Strap Hinges

IS 362:1991 for Parliament Hinges

IS 3818:1992 for Continuous (Piano) Hinges

IS 3843:1995 for Steel Back Flap Hinges

IS 453:1993 for Double-acting Spring Hinges

IS 18297:2023 for Cabinet Hinges

This order exempts goods manufactured domestically for export purposes. The enforcement timeline is staggered based on enterprise size, as defined by the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006. For micro-enterprises, the order will be enforced twelve months from the publication date, and for small enterprises, it will be effective nine months from the publication date. The Bureau of Indian Standards will be the certifying and enforcing authority for these regulations. Any breach of the order's provisions will result in penalties as outlined in the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.