RDSO (Research Design & Standards Organization) of Indian Railways has become the FIRST Institution to be declared SDO under  "One Nation One Standard" mission on BIS ( Bureau of Indian Standards) which is Institution under Department of Consumer Affairs.

This unique initiative of two organizations under GOI is going to set a template for all the rest of leading research and standard development organizations in the country to follow and adapt World Class Standards.

It may be noted that to attain “ Nation One Standard” vision of Govt. of India, Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the National Standards Body, has launched a scheme which provides for “Recognition of SDO”. Through this scheme, BIS aims at aggregating and integrating the existing capabilities and dedicated domain specific expertise available with various organizations in the country engaged in standards development in their specific sectors, and enable convergence of all standard development activities in the country resulting in “One National Standard for One Subject”.

Research Designs & Standards Organization (RDSO), Lucknow, which is the sole R&D Wing of Ministry of Railways, is one of India’s leading Standard formulating Body undertaking standardization work for railway sector.

RDSO took the initiative to seek recognition as a Standard Developing Organization (SDO) under the BIS SDO Recognition Scheme. In the process, RDSO reviewed its Standard Formulation procedures to realign them with the Best Practices of Standardization, encoded in the WTO-TBT “Code of Good Practice” and also mandated by the Bureau (BIS) as essential criteria for recognition as SDO.

BIS, after reviewing the Standard Making Procedures of RDSO, has granted recognition to RDSO on 24th May 2021 as SDO (Standard Developing Organization). With this recognition, RDSO becomes the first Standard Developing Organization in the country to be granted recognition under the BIS SDO Recognition Scheme. The scope of RDSO’s recognition as SDO, as approved by the Bureau (BIS), is “Standards Developing Organization for products, processes and services for railway transportation sector in India”. The recognition is valid for 3 years and will require renewal after completion of the validity period.  

The Standard formulation procedures at RDSO will now be more focussed on Consensus-based decision making and will entail extensive engagement of all stakeholders including Industry, Academia, Users, Recognized Labs, Test Houses etc, in the process of Standard making from the very early stages i.e. from Conceptualization to finalization of Standards. Some of the major benefits that will flow out of this recognition by Bureau of Indian Standards, under the BIS SDO Recognition Scheme, include Larger participation of Industry / Vendors / MSME’s / Technology Developers in IR Supply Chain, Increased competitiveness amongst Industry / Vendors, Reduction in Cost, Quantum improvement in Quality of Product & Services, Smooth Induction of latest evolving & emerging technologies on IR, Reduced dependence on imports, Thrust on “Make-in-India”, Improvement in Ease-of-Doing-Business, Recognition of RDSO on International Standards Making Bodies and Integration with Global Supply Chain / Global Trade.

The onus of complying with the terms and conditions, which entail conformance to the established Six principles of Standardization with greater emphasis on maintaining Transparency, Openness, Impartiality, Effectiveness, Coherence and Development Dimension, in the process of Standard making, will improve the overall confidence and trust of Industry and Technology Developers in the standards setting body i.e. RDSO and motivate all stakeholders to contribute in Standard formulation for Railway Sector in the country. It will also help in harmonizing the standardization activity thereby providing opportunity for greater participation of all stakeholders in formulation & implementation of National Standards and creating in the long run, a Brand India identity for quality of product manufactured inter the country.

Participatory approach to Development of standards involving all stake holders  in the process of standard making from the very early stages is set to reduce the time between development of standards and their ground adaptation or user utilisation.

The initiative set to usher in more faster transition from development of technology & innovation stage to actual use on ground.

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DJN/MS