International Electrotechnical Commission

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Key updates-

• By securing over 90% of the votes, India’s representative, a member of the Indian National Committee of the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and various technical committees of Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS-India), was elected.
• Representation of BIS (India) in policy and governance bodies of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and IEC ensures that Indian viewpoints on the important strategic and policy matters are put forth and it also provides opportunities to align the national standardization priorities with International best practices.
• BIS is continually expanding its international footprints. 
• Currently, BIS (India) is represented in various policy and governance bodies of International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and IEC such as ISO Council, ISO Technical Management Board (TMB), IEC SMB, IEC Market Strategy Board (MSB), IEC Business Advisory Committee (BAC), etc.

 International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC)-

• IEC is an international standard setting body that publishes international Standards for all electrical, electronic and related technologies, collectively known as “electrotechnology”. 
• It was established in 1906 in London, UK.
• IEC standards cover a vast range of technologies from power generation, transmission and distribution to home appliances and office equipment, semiconductors, fibre optics, batteries, solar energy, nanotechnology and marine energy as well as many others. 
• The IEC also manages four global conformity assessment systems that certify whether equipment, system or components conform to its international standards.
• All electrotechnologies are covered by IEC Standards, including energy production and distribution, electronics, magnetics and electromagnetics, electroacoustics, multimedia, telecommunication and medical technology.
• The IEC was instrumental in developing and distributing standards for units of measurement, particularly the gauss, hertz, and weber. 
• It also first proposed a system of standards, the Giorgi System, which ultimately became the SI, or Système International d’unités (in English, the International System of Units).
• The IEC cooperates closely with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
• The IEC is made up of members, called national committees, and each NC represents its nation’s electrotechnical interests in the IEC.\

Standardization Management Board (SMB)-

• Standardization Management Board (SMB) is an apex governance body of IEC responsible for technical policy matters.
• The IEC Board delegates to the Standardization Management Board (SMB) the management of the standards work of the Commission.
• The SMB shall take any action it considers necessary to ensure the proper and expeditious operation of the standards work.
• The SMB shall consist of:
  • A Chair (without vote).
  • 15 members, elected by the General Assembly and their alternates appointed by the relevant National Committees.
  • The Treasurer (ex officio, without vote).
  • The Secretary-General (ex officio, without vote).
• The SMB shall report its actions to the IEC Board.

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