OVERVIEW

1^st JANUARY 2023

The Electrical Accessories (Quality Control) Order, 2023, issued by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, aims to ensure the quality of electrical goods. The order, effective from six months after its publication in the Official Gazette, requires items listed in Table-1 and Table-2 to adhere to specific Indian Standards mentioned in the tables.

For compliance, these goods must bear the Standard Mark and obtain a license from the Bureau of Indian Standards under Scheme-1 of Schedule-II to the Bureau of Indian Standards (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018. However, the order does not apply to items manufactured domestically for export purposes. According to BIS QCO for the electrical accessories (boxes and enclosures for electrical accessories for household and similar fixed electrical installations), small enterprises, as defined in the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises Development Act, 2006, will be subject to the order after nine months from the publication date. Similarly, micro-enterprises have a grace period of twelve months before the order becomes applicable to them. Goods or articles specified in Table-2 are exempted until eighteen months from the date of publication of the notification. The Bureau of Indian Standards is designated as the certifying and enforcing authority for these regulations.

Articles falling under Electrical Accessories must adhere to the corresponding Indian Standard 14927 (Part 2): 2001, specifically covering Cable Trunking and Ducting Systems for Electrical Installations.

In essence, the BIS QCO for the electrical accessories (boxes and enclosures for electrical accessories for household and similar fixed electrical installations) sets out a framework to enhance the quality of electrical accessories, ensuring they meet established standards.

TABLE 1

TABLE 2

QCO - Quality Control Order