“Government approved test center” (GATC) means a person who has been approved by the Central Government to undertake verification of weight or measure specified GATC under Legal Metrology Act, 2009. A GATC recognized under this Act, shall carry out verification of weights or measure as specified under the GATC rules, 2013 and according to the specification given in the Legal Metrology (General) Rules, 2011 and on the recommendation of International Organization of Legal Metrology, as the case may be, as advised by Director, Legal Metrology from time to time.

What is the procedure of recognition of GATC?

Any person desirous of obtaining recognition as GATC shall make an application to the Director, Legal Metrology, in the prescribed form. The application shall be made only by the Principal Officer of the Set Laboratory. The Government before recognizing any laboratory as GATC to consider the following things:

1.  Availability and accessibility of land and building;
2. Adequacy of measuring equipment, testing facilities and other infrastructure.
3. Availability of technically qualified manpower;
4. Capacity for efficient and timely service to customers;
5. Willingness to get equipment periodically verified by secondary standard laboratory or any other agency determinable by Director, Legal Metrology;
6. Willing to train its employees in institutions nominated by Director Legal Metrology;
7. Any other factor, which in the opinion of Director, Legal Metrology will affect proper functioning of Government Approved Test Center;
8. Conditions to set up;
9.  Qualifications- The qualification of the principal officer or any of the employee of the Government Approved Test Center shall be equivalent to the qualification as specified in the Legal Metrology (General Rules), 2011 for a Legal Metrology Officer;
10. Experience- The principal officer or any of the employees of the Government Approved Test Center shall have working experience of at least three years in the field of legal metrology.

What are the steps for setting up GATC?

Step 1 – Setting up of the laboratory as per ISO 17025. 

Step 2 – Obtain Accreditation of NABL for laboratory.

Step 3 – Make an application before the Central Government for the recognition of the laboratory as GATC. 

Step 4 – Inspection of laboratory by the Government Authorities.

Step 5 – Successful grant of GATC, if no query is raised at the inspection.

Which weights and measures, the GATC can stamp and verify?

1. Water meter.
2. Sphygmomanometer
3. Clinical Thermometer.
4. Automatic Rail Weighbridges.
5. Tape Measures.
6. Non-automatic weighing instrument of Accuracy Class IV/Class III (upto 150kg)
7. Load Cell
8. Beam Scale.
9. Counter Machine.
10. Weights of all categories.

Government Approved Test Center Mark

The mark assigned to the Government Approved Test Center must include the national identifying letters, IND, the final two digits of the issue year (for example, 11), and the code number allocated to the Government Approved Test Center.

Revocation of certificate of Government Approved Test Centre

1. A certificate of a Government Approved Test Centre may be revoked if the Central Government is satisfied, on the recommendation of the Director of Legal Metrology, that the Government Approved Test Centre approved no longer complies with the provisions specified in the rules made under the Act, or specifically violates the directions given by the Director of Legal Metrology from time to time: Provided, however, that no such certificate shall be revoked unless the holder of such certificate has been given an opportunity of showing cause against the proposed action.
2. If a Government Approved Test Centre’s certificate is withdrawn, the verification activity must be promptly halted by that Government Approved Test Centre. Provided, however, that if verification of any such weight or measure is discovered during such inspection, the Director may issue an order prohibiting the use of such weight or measure and commence other necessary punitive action.
3. Every order of revocation or suspension of certificate of approval shall be duly notified.

Suspension of certificate of Government Approved Test Centre

1. The Director may suspend a certificate of a Government Approved Test Centre for verification of specified weights and measures in the case of the following omission or failure on the part of the certificate holder:(i) To verify the weights or measures to which the certificate pertains, or (ii) Verification that does not correspond to the rules or standards stated in the Act and rules issued thereunder, or (iii) Failure to comply with the requirements indicated in the certificate.
   Provided, however, that no such suspension shall be made without the bearer of the certificate is given a chance to show reason against the proposed action.
2. Where a certificate has been suspended under sub-rule (1), the order of suspension shall not be vacated unless the omission or failure for which the suspension was made has been complied with and the sum for compounding the offence has been deposited to the Government in the same form as prescribed for applying to the Government Approved Test Center.

Renewal of Certificate

The approval granted to a Government Approved Test Center may be renewed for a term of up to five years at a time by the Director (Legal Metrology), subject to the center’s good operation.

Fees for applying for Government Approved Test Centre of weights or measures to be deposited

1.  A fee of ten thousand rupees should be placed in the form of a pay order and paid at the time of renewal for applying to a Government Approved Test Center.
2. The applicant must also pay the same cost when adding one or more weights or measures for verification in the certificate of the Government Approved Test Center.