UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Govt. removes QCO on textile machinery imports
Q1. With reference to the Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024 — recently rescinded by the Government of India — consider the following statements:
1. It was a Quality Control Order issued under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
2. It made BIS certification mandatory for both domestic manufacture and import of covered machinery.
3. It was administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
4. It was issued under Scheme-X of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- It was a Quality Control Order issued under the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016.
- It made BIS certification mandatory for both domestic manufacture and import of covered machinery.
- It was administered by the Ministry of Commerce and Industry.
- It was issued under Scheme-X of Schedule-II of the BIS (Conformity Assessment) Regulations, 2018.
- A. 3 only
- B. 1 and 3
- C. 2 and 4
- D. 1, 2 and 4
Q2. The Quality Control Orders (QCOs), including the recently rescinded order on machinery and electrical equipment, derive their statutory force from which one of the following provisions?
- A. Section 16 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Act, 2016
- B. Section 11 of the Foreign Trade (Development and Regulation) Act, 1992
- C. Section 9 of the Customs Tariff Act, 1975
- D. Section 7 of the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, 1976
Q3. With reference to the recent rollback of Quality Control Orders by the Government of India, consider the following statements regarding the high-level panel that recommended the review:
1. It was chaired by a Member of NITI Aayog.
2. It recommended revocation of QCOs covering more than 200 products.
3. It included representatives from DPIIT and the Ministry of MSME.
4. Its mandate was confined exclusively to Quality Control Orders on agricultural commodities.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- It was chaired by a Member of NITI Aayog.
- It recommended revocation of QCOs covering more than 200 products.
- It included representatives from DPIIT and the Ministry of MSME.
- Its mandate was confined exclusively to Quality Control Orders on agricultural commodities.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. The Machinery and Electrical Equipment Safety (Omnibus Technical Regulation) Order, 2024 — whose rescission has removed BIS certification requirements on imported textile machinery — was notified by which one of the following Union Ministries?
- A. Ministry of Heavy Industries
- B. Ministry of Textiles
- C. Ministry of Commerce and Industry
- D. Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution
Q5. As per the recommendations of the NITI Aayog panel on non-financial regulatory reforms (2025), how many Quality Control Orders (QCOs) on key intermediate inputs such as plastics, polymers, base metals, footwear and electronic components were scrapped by the Centre in November 2025?