- Novel Schemes for the Welfare of Animals
- Gold hallmarking for Transparency in bullion market
HALLMARKED GOLD FOR TRANSPARANCY IN THE MARKET
Praveen Saxena*
Director (Public Relations), Bureau of Indian Standards With the beginning of the auspicious Navratras, at the end of Shraadh or the period of mourning, the markets start stirring with life again as the shoppers venture out and make a beeline for the showrooms. Companies manufacturing consumer durables, electrical appliances, electronic gadgets look forward to better volumes even as the retailers and dealers end the day with heavier cash boxes.
It is then, that the sarrafa bazaars also get set for busy days, be it the big daddies who run plush showrooms or the neighbourhood sonar (goldsmith) who has handled all that fixing of earrings and bangles over the years. He had handled the remaking of grandmother’s sitarami and fixed the jewellery for the trousseau of all the daughters in the family. He has known three generations of the family and grandmothers trust him. Relatives from nearby towns have also been taken to him, because they thought that the grandmother was wise and if she could trust him so could they. And this fraternal relationship went on..
But then the middle son of the family, a techie, on an on-site assignment in US, came back on a holiday. He thought of presenting Ma with that new necklace he had seen in the showcase. So he took Ma to the showroom and as the eager salesman stepped forward, the US- returned techie son asked "Is that necklace hallmarked?" The salesman was stumped and the Sethji who had overheard looked bewildered. The new customer had arrived…
Hallmarking
Hallmarks have acted as a safeguard for purchasers of gold for centuries in various countries. Whereas in earlier years it was done through crude methods, in present times it is done on a scientific basis at independent Assaying and Hallmarking centres. They certify that the metal conforms to the standard of fineness or purity as claimed. The hallmark is put on each article or ornament after ensuring its purity. In India, the hallmark displays the logo of Bureau of Indian Standards, the fineness grade, the mark of the assaying centre which has tested and hallmarked the article, the logo of the jeweller and code for the year in which the hallmark was granted.
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) launched the Hallmarking scheme in India in April 2000 in collaboration with the World Gold Council. It was done to introduce some order in an otherwise unregulated market in which the customers had no means to assure themselves that they were getting what they were paying for. Under the BIS scheme, certification of purity of gold jewellery is done in accordance with Indian Standard Specification "IS 1417-Grades of gold and gold alloys, jewellery/artifacts-fineness and marking". The Assaying of gold and gold jewellery is done as per "IS 1418-Method for assaying of gold in gold jewellery".
The Indian Standard IS 1417 specifies the grades of fineness in part per thousand of the alloy. This measure of purity is commonly followed for precious metals. It indicates the gold content in the jewellry, the other metals which may be present, being silver and copper. Twenty- four carat gold has a purity of 999 parts per thousand. However, 24 carat gold being too malleable is generally considered unsuitable for making jewellery.
Assaying
Assaying means determination of the precious metal content in the gold. Whereas the world over different methods are being used for assaying, it is the fire assay test which is considered most reliable and scientifically acceptable. The conventional methods like touchstone and the contemporary karatometer can indicate the purity at the surface level only. The Indian Standard IS 1418 has prescribed the fire assay test method. This involves melting of the sample with lead, thereby separating out most of the alloying metals like copper. Subsequently, it is treated with a solution of nitric and hydrochloric acid which separates the silver. The residue is gold which can be weighed to determine the purity of the sample.
Jewellers willing to join the BIS Scheme (it is voluntary) need to first become "BIS certified jewellers". To get BIS certification, jewellers have to instal a quality management system which can ensure homogeneity of batches offered for hallmarking. BIS certification is a pre-requisite for jewellers to get their jewellery assayed and hallmarked by any of the BIS recognized Assaying and Hallmarking Centres.
The recognition of Assaying and Hallmarking centres is done by BIS after ensuring that it is following international norms for sampling and testing, has installed adequate testing facilities, and recruited technically- trained and competent manpower. BIS follows international norms for recognising the Assaying and Hallmarking centres so that the Indian Hallmark is accepted all over the world over. The Scheme appears to be taking off as nearly 250 jewellers from all over the country have already joined and 11 Assaying and Hallmarking centres have taken recognition from BIS. The World Gold Council estimates that with Hallmarked gold as per international norms, India can emerge as a leading gold market centre in the world and not remain content being only one of the largest customers.
Novel Schemes for the Welfare of Animals
R. Anuradha Launched on a pilot basis during 1998-99 the two welfare schemes for the animals in distress and for those which need care in times if natural calamities have started showing far-reaching impact. The two schemes, namely, the Scheme for Provision of Ambulance Service to Animals in Distress and the Scheme for Provision of Shelter Houses for Looking after the Animals have been widely welcomed by the non-governmental organisations working in this field. On the basis of their success reports, the Standing Finance Committee gave its approval for continuance of these schemes on a regular basis on November 12, 1998.
Ambulance Service
The basic objective of the scheme is to make available emergency ambulance services to animals in distress throughout the country by provision of appropriate assistance to competent non-governmental organisations working in the field.
A large number of domestic and stray animals need care and protection particularly in times of natural calamities such as floods, droughts, famines and forest fires . In addition, animals frequently suffer from injuries and disabilities as a result of road accidents or diseases. The infrastructure for provision of emergency services to animals was almost non-existent and there was a need to strengthen the capabilities of organisations working in the field at the grassroot level throughout the country. The scheme for ambulance service to animals fulfils this need very effectively.
This is a central sector scheme. Under the scheme ninety percent of the total cost of the ambulance vehicle is borne by the Central Government and ten percent by the organisation. with a ceiling of Rs. 4.50 lakh for the cost of the vehicle including modifications. The money is released in one installment.
A total expenditure of Rs. 1.73 crore was incurred during 1998-99, Rs.2.25 crore during 1999-2000 and Rs. 96 lakh during 2000-2001. For the current financial year, i.e. 2001-2002, a budget provision of Rs.2.40 crore has been made against which an expenditure of Rs.0.51 crore has been incurred so far. The number of ambulances for which the money was sanctioned during 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 20001-2002 is 45, 75, 21 and 16 respectively.
Shelter Houses
The basic objective of this scheme is to provide requisite services to uncared-for animals by providing for establishment and maintenance of shelter houses in all the districts of the country for care and protection of the animals.
There are almost one billion animals in our country roaming around in the streets and elsewhere. A number of them are not cared for enough and are left in the streets either wounded or suffering from various diseases. Though shelter houses are being operated at various places by individuals and non-governmental organisations, their number is not adequate and the facilities provided there are insufficient. In such a situation it becomes imperative that more shelter houses are established for stray and needy animals with appropriate facilities and healthy living conditions.
It was felt that at least one such shelter house was needed in each district with all the facilities like health care and stall feed . The scheme endeavors to fill this gap and helps provide requisite services to uncared-for animals by providing for the establishment and maintenance of shelter houses in all the districts of the country for care and protection of the animals.
This is a Central sector scheme and the NGOs are assisted to the extent of 90 percent of the project cost of the construction of shelter houses with a ceiling of Rs.25 lakh including 10 percent contribution by the NGOs. The amount is released to NGOs in two equal installments.
Under the scheme 29, 52, 38 and 23 shelter houses were sanctioned during the years 1998-99, 1999-2000, 2000-2001 and 2001-2002 respectively. A total expenditure of Rs.2.05 crore was incurred during 1998-99, Rs.5.61 crore during 1999-2000 and Rs.6.92 crore during 2000-2001. A budget provision of Rs.3.65 crore has been made during 2001-2002. Against that an expenditure of Rs.3.57 crore has been incurred so far.
