Executive Summary:
The Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution will provide financial support to 54 government laboratories under a scheme for upgrading testing infrastructure and creating new facilities. 12 proposals worth Rs. 425.64 Crores have been approved. The scheme aims to augment testing infrastructure in important sectors, including emerging areas like organic food testing. The responsibility for creating/upgrading the testing facilities lies with the respective laboratories.
Key Points / Main Content:
Financial Support and Approvals:
* Financial support is extended based on the approval of proposals by the Screening Committee, Department of Consumer Affairs, and ratification by the Governing Council of BIS.
* 12 Proposals worth Rs. 425.64 Crores received from various government departments have been approved for providing financial support to 54 Laboratories.
Scope of the Scheme:
* The scheme covers laboratories owned or fully/partially funded by the Central Government, institutions of higher education, and private organizations running laboratories for R&D purposes or on a not-for-profit basis.
* The specific critical areas targeted and the financial allocation for each are detailed in the Annexure.
Specific Projects and Allocations:
* Creation of switch gear testing facility at NTH Mumbai: Rs. 5 Crore.
* Strengthening of Cotton fibre testing infrastructure at Laboratories of Textiles Committee (11 Labs), Power loom Service Centres and Cotton Corporation of India (2 Labs): Rs 38.72 Crores.
* Strengthening of the FSSAIs notified Food Testing Laboratories for Organic Food Testing including 12 FSSAI Notified State Food Laboratory (12 Labs) and 12 FSSAI Notified Labs working under other Government Organizations (12 Labs): Rs 116.25 Crores.
* Advancement of Metrology for Reliability, Inspection and Testing AMRIT submitted by National Physical Laboratory: Rs 37.49 Crores.
* Establishment of Robotic Mass Comparators with other equipment for calibration of E0 and E1 Class weights at RRSLs (5 Labs): Rs. 100 Crore.
* Creation of Integrated Test Facility for Power Transmission Distribution Sectors including Short Circuit Test Facility of Transformers at NTH Jaipur: Rs. 50.11 Crore.
* Creation of test facility for testing of Aerospace components at National Test House, Bengaluru: Rs 5.03 Crores.
* Creation of test facility for Solar Photo Voltaic Modules Upto 1000W at National Test House, Ghaziabad: Rs 40 Crores.
* Creation of short circuit test facility of 120 KA, 525V at National Test House, Chennai: Rs 10.0229 Crores
* Augmentation of Facility for testing of HT Cables at National Test House, Ghaziabad: Rs. 3.1425 Crores.
* Establishment augmentation of Analytical Laboratory for nutritional quality evaluation of Makhana at NRG for Makhan at ICAR-National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanqa: Rs. 0.375 Crores.
* Support to FSSAI notified Labs for Testing of Organic Food product: Rs. 19.5 Crores for all 4 labs
Impact Analysis:
Government Laboratories:
* Impact: Increased testing capacity and improved quality of services through upgraded infrastructure and new facilities.
* Action Required: Implement the approved proposals for creating/upgrading testing facilities.
Screening Committee, Department of Consumer Affairs and Governing Council of BIS:
* Impact: Responsible for evaluating and approving proposals for financial support.
* Action Required: Continue to evaluate and ratify proposals based on extant guidelines.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI):
* Impact: Strengthening of food testing laboratories, especially for organic food testing.
* Action Required: Utilize the financial support to enhance testing capabilities as outlined in the approved proposals.
National Physical Laboratory (NPL) and National Test House (NTH):
* Impact: Specific facilities within these institutions will be upgraded and expanded.
* Action Required: Implement projects for creating and upgrading specific test facilities.
Textiles Committee, Power loom Service Centres and Cotton Corporation of India:
* Impact: Strengthening of Cotton fibre testing infrastructure
* Action Required: Utilize the financial support to enhance testing capabilities as outlined in the approved proposals.
ICAR-National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanqa:
* Impact: Establishment augmentation of Analytical Laboratory for nutritional quality evaluation of Makhana
* Action Required: Utilize the financial support to enhance testing capabilities as outlined in the approved proposals.
Key Entities Referenced
Department of Consumer Affairs: A department under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, Government of India, responsible for consumer protection and related matters.
National Physical Laboratory: A government-owned laboratory mentioned in the context of its testing capacity and quality of services.
National Test House: A government-owned laboratory mentioned in the context of its testing capacity and quality of services.
Food Safety and Standards Authority of India: An authority responsible for setting standards and regulating food safety in India.
Bureau of Indian Standards: The National Standards Body of India responsible for standardization, marking and quality certification of goods.
Textiles Committee: An entity involved in strengthening cotton fiber testing infrastructure.
Cotton Corporation of India: An entity involved in strengthening cotton fiber testing infrastructure.
National Food Laboratory, Raxaul Extension centre NFL Kolkata, Bihar: A food testing laboratory located in Raxaul, with an extension center in Kolkata, Bihar, supported for testing of organic food.
Government of India
Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Department of Consumer Affairs
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2804
TO BE ANSWERED ON 06.08.2025
TESTING CAPACITY OF LABORATORIES
2804. SHRI ARUN BHARTI:
Will the Minister of CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC
DISTRIBUTION be pleased to state:
(a) the total number of Government laboratories that have received financial support under the scheme for
upgrading testing infrastructure and creating new facilities;
(b) the specific critical areas in which new facilities have been created and the corresponding financial
allocation made for each area under the scheme;
(c) the impact of the scheme on the testing capacity and quality of services offered by laboratories such as
National Physical Laboratory (NPL), National Test House (NTH) and Food Safety and Standards
Authority of India (FSSAI); and
(d) future plans to extend this scheme to other laboratories or for further expansion including the
budgetary allocation and the timeline for the next phase?
ANSWER
THE MINISTER OF STATE
CONSUMER AFFAIRS, FOOD AND PUBLIC DISTRIBUTION
(SHRI B.L.VERMA)
(a) to (d) : 12 Proposals worth Rs. 425.64 Crores received from various government departments have been
approved for providing financial support to 54 Laboratories in the scheme for upgrading testing
infrastructure and creating new facilities. After the Financial support for the laboratories is approved by
Screening Committee, Department of Consumer Affairs and duly ratified by the Governing Council of BIS,
the responsibility for creation/upgradation of the testing facilities rests with the respective laboratories.
The specific critical areas in which new facilities have been targeted and the corresponding financial
allocation made for each proposal under the scheme is given at Annexure. This scheme by extending
financial support to laboratories, contribute significantly to augment the testing infrastructure in important
sectors including emerging areas such as organic food testing.
The eligibility of the ongoing scheme covers the laboratories owned or fully or partially funded by the
Central Government, institutions of higher education and private organizations running laboratories for R&D
purposes or on not-for-profit basis proposals as received from the respective laboratories are submitted for
consideration of the Screening Committee. Financial support is extended to the laboratories as per the extant
guidelines based on the approval of proposals by the Screening Committee, Department of Consumer Affairs
and duly ratified by the Governing Council of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS).
*****ANNEXURE
ANNEXURE REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2804
DUE FOR ANSWER ON 06/08/2025 REGARDING TESTING CAPACITY OF LABORATORIES
S No. Proposal for Strengthening Approximate Cost
1. Creation of switch gear testing facility at NTH Mumbai Rs. 5 Crore
2. Strengthening of Cotton fibre testing infrastructure at Laboratories Rs 38.72 Crores.
of Textiles Committee (11 Labs), Power loom Service Centres and
Cotton Corporation of India (2 Labs)
3. Strengthening of the FSSAI’s notified Food Testing Laboratories Rs 116.25 Crores
for Organic Food Testing including 12 FSSAI Notified State Food
Laboratory (12 Labs) and 12 FSSAI Notified Labs working under
other Government Organizations (12 Labs)
4. Advancement of Metrology for Reliability, Inspection and Testing Rs 37.49 Crores
(AMRIT) submitted by National Physical Laboratory
5. Establishment of Robotic Mass Comparators with other equipment Rs. 100 Crore for
at RRSLs (5 Labs) for calibration of E0 and E1 Class weights. all 5 RRSLs.
6. Creation of Integrated Test Facility for Power Transmission & Rs. 50.11 Crore
Distribution Sectors including Short Circuit Test Facility of
Transformers at NTH Jaipur
7. Creation of test facility for testing of Aerospace components at Rs 5.03 Crores.
National Test House, Bengaluru
8. Creation of test facility for Solar Photo Voltaic Modules Upto Rs 40 Crores.
1000W at National Test House, Ghaziabad
9. Creation of short circuit test facility of 120 KA, 525V at National Rs 10.0229 Crores
Test House, Chennai
10. Augmentation of Facility for testing of HT Cables at National Test Rs. 3.1425 Crores.
House, Ghaziabad
11. Establishment/ augmentation of Analytical Laboratory for Rs. 0.375 Crores
nutritional quality evaluation of Makhana at NRG for Makhan at (Rs. 37.50 Lakhs)
ICAR-National Research Centre for Makhana, Darbhanqa
12. Support to FSSAI notified Labs for Testing of Organic Food Rs. 19.5 Crores for
product all 4 labs
3.75 Crores
i. National Food Laboratory - Raxaul (Extension centre NFL- 5.25 Crores
Kolkata), Bihar 5.25 Crores
ii. Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Spices Board, Guntur, 5.25 Crores
Andhra Pradesh
iii. Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Spices Board, Thane,
Maharashtra
iv. Quality Evaluation Laboratory, Spices Board, Thiruvallur,
Tamil Nadu
Total Rs 425.6404
Crores
******