New Delhi, Nov 3 (IANS) Senior IAS officer Sanjay Garg has assumed charge as the Director General of the Bureau of Indian Standards, the national standards body of India, with effect from November 1 this year, according to an official statement issued on Monday.

Garg, a 1994 batch Kerala cadre officer, brings vast and diverse administrative experience spanning over three decades with expertise in strategic planning, policy formulation and implementation across various sectors, including agriculture, food logistics, defence industry sector, industrial promotion, finance and various social sectors at the state and national levels.

Prior to joining the Bureau of Indian Standards as DG, he served as Additional Secretary, DARE (Department of Agriculture, Research and Education) and Secretary, Indian Council of Agriculture Research (ICAR). In DARE and ICAR, he spearheaded the digital transformation through the application of IT in Research Management and Administration. He also played a pivotal role in scaling up and expanding the Kisan Sarathi portal, which connects farmers directly to agricultural scientists.

His experience includes management and administration of World Bank Projects in India, promotion and deregulation of the defence industry sector, and other industrial promotion initiatives, including promotion of the leather industry sector.

The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is the national standards body of India that develops and sets standards for products and services. It is responsible for quality certification, implementing conformity assessment schemes, and hallmarking precious metals to ensure safety, reliability, and quality for consumers. BIS activities support national policies on consumer protection, food safety, environmental protection, and other areas.

As the Director General of BIS, Garg will also serve as the President of India’s national committee in the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC), representing India’s interests in the global body that creates standards for electrical, electronic, and related technologies. The committee ensures that Indian viewpoints are put forth on international policy matters and aligns national standardisation priorities with international best practices.

–IANS

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