The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Delhi have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment. Under the MoU, the two have agreed to set-up a Centre of Excellence in the field of Standardisation, Testing and Conformity Assessment with the BIS branding at IIT-Delhi campus. Both have also agreed to appoint a Chair in the field of standardisation and conformity assessment.
The MoU was signed by director, IIT-Delhi V. Ramgopal Rao and director general (DG), BIS, SurinaRajan. According to the MoU, IIT-Delhi will develop infrastructure support for research and development projects of relevance to standardisation and BIS will provide financial support to IIT- Delhi for the R&D.
The two will also jointly organise training and short-term education programmes on standardisation and conformity assessment and explore the possibility of the hiring of IIT Delhi faculty as consultants on a secondment basis.
Director, IIT-Delhi V. Ramgopal Rao said that around 50 faculty members of IIT-Delhi are part of the technical committees of BIS and hoped that the MoU would strengthen the collaboration further. SurinaRajan, director general (DG), BIS underlined the importance of standards in ensuring data security, especially in the financial field.
Rajan said, there is a need of active involvement of technical institutes such as IITs in elevating India’s position from ‘standard takers’ to ‘standard makers’.
