New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) Gearing up for the future, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) is giving priority to standardization in new areas like nanotechnology, energy efficiency, new renewable energy and bio-technology, said Consumer Affairs Minister K.V. Thomas Tuesday.

He said the BIS has been asked to harmonize Indian standards, where feasible, with international standards to provide quality goods and services to the people.

The minister said in order to provide safe and quality food and non-food agricultural products to the consumers, the BIS has formulated a standard, a first in a series of Indian standards, for good agricultural practices.

The minister said, “In public interest, the government has notified 83 articles for mandatory conformance to the relevant Indian Standards.”