61st meeting of the International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML) in New Delhi, 26–28 Oct 2026 – India hosts it for the first time

19-10-2026 · English

Topics: International · 19 October 2026 Current Affairs (UPSC / TNPSC / SSC / RRB)

News

The 61st meeting of the International Committee of Legal Metrology (CIML) – the governing committee of the International Organization of Legal Metrology (OIML) – is being held in New Delhi (The LaLiT) on 26–28 October 2026. This is the first time India is hosting it. The Department of Consumer Affairs is organising it with the OIML. 26 Oct – seminar 'Evolutions in Legal Metrology'; 27 Oct – OIML Strategy Workshop. More than 100 international delegates will attend. International Recommendations, the OIML Certification System (OIML-CS) and digital transformation will be discussed. The 60th meeting was held in Paris in October 2025.

Key facts

Background

• Legal metrology is the State's assurance that weights, measures and measuring instruments used in trade are accurate. OIML was set up in 1955; the International Bureau of Legal Metrology (BIML) in Paris is its secretariat. It issues 'International Recommendations' (OIML R) for measuring instruments.
• India: the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 (in force from 1 Apr 2011) replaced the weights-and-measures Acts of 1976 and 1985; it mandates the metric system and declarations on pre-packaged goods. The Department of Consumer Affairs administers it; enforcement is by States. Indian Institute of Legal Metrology (IILM) – Ranchi; Regional Reference Standard Laboratories (RRSL) – Bengaluru, Bhubaneswar, Faridabad, Guwahati, Ahmedabad, Varanasi, Nagpur.
• Science: the SI system has 7 base units (metre, kilogram, second, ampere, kelvin, mole, candela), maintained by the International Bureau of Weights and Measures (BIPM, Sèvres, France). India's National Metrology Institute, CSIR–National Physical Laboratory (NPL, New Delhi), maintains Indian Standard Time (IST = UTC + 5:30, 82.5° E longitude). The 'Legal Metrology (Indian Standard Time) Rules, 2026' were notified in August 2026.

Tamil Nadu link: in Tamil Nadu the Legal Metrology Act, 2009 is enforced by the Labour Department – Assistant Commissioners of Labour and Labour Inspectors check weights and measures in shops. State rules: 'Tamil Nadu Legal Metrology (Enforcement) Rules, 2011'.

Source: OIML website (61st CIML meeting); Kashmir Despatch, GKToday (19 Oct 2026); Drishti IAS (OIML 2023; World Metrology Day 2026); Dept of Consumer Affairs (RRSL); TN Labour Department

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