New Delhi : The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) has strengthened its partnership with 92 educational institutions across the country through Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs), recognizing academia as a critical and non-biased stakeholder in the national standardization process. These MoUs shall pave the way for academic institutions to actively participate in BIS Technical Committees for the formulation of National Standards, undertake R&D projects offered by BIS and contribute to international standardization efforts. To further this initiative, BIS organized a convention for Deans and Heads of Departments (HoDs) of the partner institutions in the Civil Engineering discipline. The event was held at Udaipur on the 23rd and 24th of August 2024. The convention began with a welcome address by Smt. Kanika Kalia, Head of the Jaipur Branch Office of BIS. Shri Pramod Kumar Tiwari, IAS, Director General of BIS, inaugurated the program, underscoring the vital role of academia in the standardization process. He highlighted the challenges faced by BIS, such as sporadic involvement of academia in standardization, the lack of synergy between ongoing research and its relevance to standardization, and the representation of an unbiased Indian viewpoint in international standardization. The convention brought together top academicians from the Civil Engineering discipline, providing a platform for knowledge exchange and collaboration. Shri Deepak Aggarwal, Head of the Standards Coordination and Monitoring Department of BIS, delivered a presentation on the overview of the standardization process. This was followed by an in- depth presentation on the ongoing work within the Civil Engineering Department of BIS by Shri Arun Kumar S, Scientist E. A similar convention was simultaneously held at Dharmashala (H.P.) which was attended by distinguished academicians from the field of Chemical Engineering and Chemistry discipline. The members of academia were addressed by Shri Chandan Bahl, Dy. Director General along with Dr. Surya Kalyani, Sc-E and Head of TNMD department of BIS. The session was furthered by detailed presentations on the important Indian Standards and ongoing work within the Chemical Engineering and Petro Chemical Department were delivered by Shri Ajay K. Lal, Scientist-F & Head, Chemical Department, BIS and Shri Chinmay Dwivedi, Scientist-E & Head, Petroleum. Coal and Related Products Department, BIS, respectively. Numerous technical sessions were conducted during the two conventions, which provided valuable insights into the technical aspects of standardization in civil engineering, chemical engineering and Chemistry discipline. These twin- conventions mark a significant step forward in aligning academic research with the needs of national and international standardization, ensuring that India’s standards remain at the forefront of global developments.
