Sale of gold jewellery and gold artefacts hallmarked without six-digit code to be banned from Apr 1
New Delhi, Mar 4: Sale of gold jewellery and gold artefacts hallmarked with only a six-digit alphanumeric HUID -- union identification number -- will be permitted from April 1, the government said on Saturday.
This means the sale of old hallmarked jewellery with four logos without HUID (Hallmark Unique Identification) number will not be allowed after March 31.
A decision in this regard was taken after due consultation with stakeholders on January 18 in a bid to safeguard the interest of consumers, the consumer affairs ministry said in a statement.
Gold hallmarking is a purity certification of the precious metal. It was voluntary in nature til June 16, 2021.
It may be noted that prior to the implementation of the six-digit HUID number, hallmarking of gold jewellery consisted of four marks -- BIS logo, purity of the article as well as the logo of the jeweller and Assaying and Hallmarking Centre.
The six-digit HUID number was introduced from July 1, 2021.
After the introduction of HUID, the hallmark consisted of three marks -- BIS logo, purity of the article and six-digit alphanumeric HUID. Each hallmarked article has a unique HUID number which is traceable.
Till now, the old hallmarked jewellery with four marks without HUID was also permitted to be sold by the jewellers along with the six-digit HUID mark. More than a year and nine months were given to jewellers to clear their stock of their four mark hallmarked articles.
"However, the simultaneous sale of two types of hallmarked jewellery by the jewellers was creating confusion in the mind of the common consumer," the ministry said.
The issue was discussed with stakeholders and the ministry decided to allow only the sale of hallmarked gold jewellery with six-digit HUID number only from April 1 onwards, it said.
The ministry also clarified that the hallmarked jewellery lying with consumers as per old schemes will remain valid.
As per section 49 of the Bureau of Indian Standards Rules, 2018, if hallmarked jewellery purchased by the consumer is found to be of lesser purity than that marked on the jewellery, then the buyer/customer will be entitled for compensation which will be two times the amount of difference calculated on the basis of shortage of purity for the weight of such article sold and the testing charges, it added.
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Allahabad HC orders probe into 'reinstatement' of teacher in UP's Barabanki
Lucknow (PTI): The Lucknow Bench of the Allahabad High Court on Friday ordered a probe by the special task force (STF) into alleged irregularities in the rejoining of a teacher at City Intermediate College in Barabanki, observing that the reinstatement appeared to be prima facie illegal.
The court also directed the recovery of the salary paid to the teacher during the disputed period.
A bench of Justice Rajeev Singh passed the order on a petition filed by the college management committee. The court expressed doubts over the roles of the District Inspector of Schools (DIOS), Barabanki, the college principal and the teacher concerned and hence, directed a detailed inquiry into the matter.
Taking note of alleged manipulation of records and misleading submissions, the court ordered the immediate transfer of the Barabanki DIOS to ensure a fair probe. It also directed the initiation of disciplinary proceedings against the then joint director of education of the Ayodhya division.
In its order, the court found that the teacher, Abhay Kumar, was initially appointed as an assistant teacher in 2018 but joined an Eklavya Model Residential School in Chhattisgarh as a lecturer in June 2024 without obtaining permission from the management. His subsequent request to retain the lien was rejected.
Despite this, he was allowed to rejoin the Barabanki College in September 2025 on the directions of the joint director of education and the DIOS, and was even paid the salary for October 2025. The court termed the rejoining "wholly illegal" and lacking any legal basis.
The bench also expressed concern over lapses in communication within the education department and directed the Uttar Pradesh chief secretary to ensure that official orders are communicated through email and WhatsApp as well, to prevent disputes.
The matter is next listed for hearing on May 28 when a compliance report is sought.
