With popularity of yoga, herbs rising, BIS setting benchmarks

NEW DELHI: As yoga and traditional Indian herbal medicines are becoming popular across the world, the Bureau of Indian Standard (BIS) has started setting standards for equipment and the centres for yoga and also traditional medicines. The agency has also has reached out to the International Standards Organisation (ISO) to adopt these standards.

BIS director general Pramod K Tiwari said they are framing these standards on request from the Ayush ministry. He added that standards for 17 herbs out of identified 34 have been published and the remaining are under circulation. He added that the entity has framed standards on the glossary of yoga terminology, yoga mat and yoga centre.

"We are also working on yoga equipment like the one used for jal neti kriya as well as some traditional herbal medicines," Tiwari said. The standard framed for yoga centre specifies the service requirements for operations, benchmarking and infrastructure, including minimum qualification for yoga wellness instructors and staff of the centre.

Officials said since more people are now practicing yoga and more centres are being opened across the globe, there is a need to set the benchmarks. "As we identify more products and services that should be brought under some standard, we will come up with the norms," said an official.

Hallmark gold jewellery

On gold hallmarking, Tiwari said the government has set April 1 as the deadline for the sale of gold jewellery with only a six-digit alphanumeric Hallmark Unique Identification and this will not be extended.