Essentially, Legal Metrology is defined as the regulation of measurements and their required instruments in accordance with the laws created by the nation’s government. Providing protection for the safety of the public, the environment, consumers, and traders is the responsibility of the Legal Metrology Department of India. As far as fair trade in India is concerned, this department is also very precise.
Traders and consumers rely on government regulations and industry decisions to ensure the economy of the country and their well-being.
Legal Metrology Department Purpose
Legal Metrology Department’s purpose is to govern laws concerning measurements that have to be precise with regard to actual measurements, instruments used for measurements, reference materials for instruments, or a measuring framework that can be used to characterize, acknowledge, moderate, or emulate a unit of measurement.
Multiple necessities can be measured, including the quantity of food sold on the market, the amount of fuel consumed for vehicles or machinery, measurements of distance, measurements of temperature, measurements of commotion in the working environment, etc.
The unit for the amount of “Mass” is provided with a barrel-shaped structure for measuring a kilogram, which is also accepted as a standard worldwide. In contrast, the unit of measurement for “Length” is provided with a specific structure by addressing required qualities by progression of measurement squares.
The Ministry of Earth Sciences and the Government of India established the legal metrology Department in India in order to maintain uniformity, accuracy, and proper governance.
Economic Functions of the Legal Metrology Department
According to the Indian economy, the Legal Metrology Department has the following functions:
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- Reduced Disputes and Transaction Costs
- By regulating measurement practices to prevent inadequate measurement practices, which implies a fair expenditure of money for consumers and saves both vendors and consumers time.
- Supporting trade business
- Controlling any biased or unfair advantages in the beginning of any trade business, ensuring that only fair trade is being practiced for the benefit of the vendors, the sellers, and the consumers.
- Reducing fraudulent activities and managing stock
- Consumers are more likely to trust traceable measurements that provide a basic framework for Stock Control, reducing the occurrence of any fraudulent activities, and improving the efficiency of Stock Control management.
- Assisting in the collection of government revenue
- In addition to collecting revenue, the Legal Metrology Department also exercises applicable taxes. These taxes can be applied to the quantity of products sold, imported, or exported on the market, as well as bulk commodities such as rice, natural gas, gold, and timber.
- Reduction of technical barriers to trade
- Legal Metrology in India is regulated in accordance with international standards, providing clarity and confidence to trade business owners. By doing so, the economy will develop both nationally and internationally, and global trading will be encouraged.
- Governance promotion
- Among the laws regulated by this department are those related to Environmental Laws, Occupational Health and Safety Laws, Traffic Control Laws, Air Traffic Control Laws, etc., which encourages good and reliable governance.
Functions of the Legal Metrology Department for the Society
- According to Indian citizens, the Legal Metrology Department performs the following functions:
- Improving health conditions through assistance
- By maintaining the calibration of accurate medical devices and pharmaceutical products, the Legal Metrology Department aids in the correct diagnosis of medical conditions. Calibrates chemical and biological tests conducted on food products.
- The protection of the environment
- In this department, ecological risk factors are controlled and reduced in order to supervise the maintenance of the environment. Control of the fishery resources, noise control over industrial production, air crafts, etc., may be considered as ecological risk factors. In addition, testing was conducted for water pollution, air pollution, soil pollution, metals, pesticides, etc., and the identification of hazardous factors.
Lastly,
By enforcing the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 and Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011, the Legal Metrology Department assists consumers in avoiding unethical vendors, sellers and traders. The Standards of Weights and Measures (Enforcement) Act, 1985, the Legal Metrology Act, 2009, and the Legal Metrology (Packaged Commodities) Rules, 2011 penalize anyone who violates the laws set for Legal Metrology.
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