Srinagar, Oct 07: The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) – Jammu and Kashmir Branch Office (JKBO) marked the occasion of World Standards Day with a celebration named “Manak Mahotsava,” held in collaboration with Dr B R Ambedkar National Institute of Technology (NIT), Jalandhar. The event, themed “Shared Vision for a Better World,” paid tribute to the collaborative efforts of experts who develop standards and was attended by distinguished guests and enthusiastic participants from various industries and educational institutions.
Pramod Kumar Tiwari, IAS, and Director General of BIS, delivered his opening remarks via video conference, encouraging students and faculty members to engage in the research and development revolution initiated by BIS. He highlighted BIS’s support for technical literature standardization publications, emphasizing the importance of academic-industry collaboration.
The event featured Prof Ajay Bansal, the Honorable Registrar of NIT Jalandhar, as the Chief Guest, and Rajeev P, Dy Director General North, BIS, as the Guest of Honuor. More than 400 students and faculty members from NIT Jalandhar, along with over 100 participants from various industries in Jalandhar, attended the program. Tilak Raj, Director, and Head of Jammu Kashmir Branch Office, inaugurated the event, which marked the first celebration of Manak Mahotsava in Jalandhar.
The Manak Mahotsava was transformed this year with active involvement from industries and students. The event showcased 12 stalls featuring diverse projects developed by NIT Jalandhar students, ranging from textile engineering to IT system development.
Leading industries from Jalandhar, including Kalsi Metal Works Pvt Ltd, Speedway Tyres, Fine Switchgear, and Verka Milk Products, displayed prototypes at the event. BIS officials, Niraj Kumar Mishra and Hitesh Yadav, along with Dr Neelam Rani, Assistant Professor at NIT, evaluated the stalls and projects, acknowledging outstanding student efforts with awards.
The program commenced with the Manak Geet of BIS, followed by engaging performances by students, including classical dances and a Nukkad Natak. Additionally, students from BIS Standard Club of GSS Maqsudan and Noorpur performed a skit titled “Jago Grahak Jago.”
The event aimed to raise awareness among stakeholders, including regulators, industry professionals, academia, research institutions, and consumers, about their roles in achieving the United Nations’ 17 Sustainable Development Goals by 2030. Standards play a pivotal role in various aspects of daily life, ensuring product and service quality, safety, and reliability, the speakers said.
During the event, a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between BIS and NIT Jalandhar to strengthen cooperation in the field of standardization. Prof Ajay Bansal emphasized the significance of standards in product development and academics. BIS JKBO honored long-standing licensees of the region and awarded BIS certification licenses to new licensees.
In his concluding remarks, Pankaj Atri, Joint Director BIS, emphasized the importance of adopting sustainable practices in day-to-day activities. The event also recognized the contribution of resource persons promoting BIS Standards Clubs in schools and colleges across the region, fostering awareness about the importance of standards in education and society.
