The Department of Consumer Affairs (DCA) on Monday, December 29, announced that it has granted 12 government approved test centre (GATC) certificates to 11 private entities, expanding India’s legal metrology verification network through a public-private partnership framework.
The certificates were awarded on December 24 by Union Minister for Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution Pralhad Joshi, in the presence of Minister of State BL Verma, the department said in an official statement.
Rule changes widen scope of GATCs
The move follows amendments to the Legal Metrology (Government Approved Test Centre) Rules, 2013, notified on October 23, 2025, which expanded the scope for recognising qualified private entities as authorised centres for verification and re-verification of weighing and measuring instruments.
Under the amended framework, GATC rules now cover 18 categories of instruments, reflecting the government’s focus on evolving requirements across healthcare, transport, energy, infrastructure and consumer services. These include:
· Water meters, energy meters and gas meters.
· Flow meters and moisture meters.
· Sphygmomanometers and clinical thermometers.
· Breath analysers and vehicle speed meters.
· Multi-dimensional measuring instruments.
· Automatic rail weighbridges.
· Tape measures and non-automatic weighing instruments.
· Load cells, beam scales and counter machines.
· Weights of all categories.
Focus on accuracy, faster compliance
The department said the expanded framework is aimed at improving accuracy and reliability in weights and measures used in trade and consumer transactions, while easing compliance and reducing turnaround time for manufacturers, traders and service providers.
Following the amendment, the DCA also launched an online portal to invite applications from eligible private entities. The application process, which closed on November 30, 2025, was conducted through a digital and time-bound system.
Existing labs to continue as deemed GATCs
The department said regional reference standard laboratories (RRSLs) and national test house (NTH) laboratories will continue to function as deemed GATCs, ensuring continuity in the verification network while allowing state legal metrology officials to focus on inspection, enforcement and grievance redressal.
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