The Centre has asked southern states to expedite the implementation of reforms introduced under the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 through the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2026, with an emphasis on simplifying compliance procedures while ensuring strong consumer protection measures remain in place.
During a recent review meeting conducted by the Union consumer affairs ministry with representatives from Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Telangana, officials highlighted the need for states to quickly adopt the amended provisions aimed at improving the ease of doing business.
The ministry stated that the reforms are intended to establish a transparent, modern and balanced regulatory system that supports honest businesses and traders while safeguarding consumer interests.
According to the ministry, procedural compliances are being simplified to reduce unnecessary regulatory burdens. However, authorities made it clear that strict action would continue against fraud, tampering and other violations affecting consumers under the legal metrology framework.
“The reforms are aimed at creating a transparent, modern and balanced regulatory ecosystem that promotes both ease of doing business and consumer protection,” the ministry said in an official statement. During the discussions, states were urged to ensure that the transition from the earlier “licensing” regime to a “registration”-based system genuinely reflects a trust-based and facilitative approach to regulation.
Officials emphasised that registrations should be granted automatically upon submission of the prescribed documents without avoidable delays, cumbersome procedures or mandatory prior inspections. The ministry also reviewed the implementation of the newly introduced “improvement notice” mechanism, which forms a key part of the Jan Vishwas reforms.
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Under the revised framework, first-time procedural violations under specified sections of the Legal Metrology Act would initially attract an Improvement Notice instead of immediate penal action. The government said this reform is aimed at encouraging voluntary compliance among businesses, reducing unnecessary litigation and improving the business environment without compromising consumer protection.
The issue of expanding Government-Approved Test Centres (GATCs) also came up during the meeting. The ministry requested states to speed up amendments to their enforcement rules and GATC regulations so that they align with the amended legal metrology framework.
According to the ministry, participating states informed the Centre that revised rules were already in advanced stages of drafting and approval and are likely to be formally notified soon. The Centre further urged all states and Union Territories to notify their GATC rules at the earliest and broaden the range of instruments covered under the GATC mechanism. “This is expected to strengthen verification infrastructure, improve the availability of verifiers and ensure faster service delivery to industries, traders and consumers,” the ministry said.
The ministry also informed the states that specialised training programmes for legal metrology officers would be organised through the Indian Institute of Legal Metrology (IILM) in Ranchi. These programmes are intended to enhance the technical capabilities of officials and ensure effective implementation of the new reforms introduced under the amended law.
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