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Govt to Relax Quality Norms on 55 Steel Grades to Ease Shortages.                                                                                                                                                                  

The Steel Ministry is preparing to suspend Quality Control Orders (QCOs) on 55 steel grades, aiming to ease shortages of specialised steel not produced domestically or available in insufficient quantities. According to official sources, 42 BIS standards will be suspended for three years and 13 for one year, based on recommendations from a high-level committee. A formal notification is expected soon, with the ministry planning yearly reviews to assess the impact. The suspension will allow industries—particularly in the automobile and electrical sectors—to import non-BIS-compliant steel or source material from non-licensed suppliers, improving availability and reducing production bottlenecks. An additional 15 standards will be examined by an inter-ministerial group to decide whether they should also be suspended. However, standards related to defence and atomic energy will remain unchanged. This move follows years of QCO enforcement aimed at restricting substandard steel imports.