The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), India’s National Standards Body under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution, reaffirmed its commitment to quality and consumer protection by organizing a “Manak Manthan” (தரநிலைகளை விவாதிக்கும் மன்றம்) programme in Coimbatore. The event, held at the Centre for Excellence in Biotechnology, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University (TNAU), brought together over 176 stakeholders from industry, academia, farming communities, NGOs, and consumer groups.
“Manak Manthan” is an interactive stakeholder engagement forum initiated by BIS to foster inclusive dialogue and participatory standard formulation. The July 30th session focused on the Wide Circulation draft of Indian Standard FAD 1 (28325) WC – Neem Based EC Containing Azadirachtin (First Revision of IS 14300), aiming to update the standard for neem-based pest control formulations widely used in organic farming.
Smt. G. Bhavani, Scientist-F and Head of BIS Coimbatore Branch, welcomed the gathering and underscored the importance of neem formulations for their eco-friendly pest control properties. She emphasized BIS’s commitment to developing sustainable standards that ensure the safety of plant, animal, and human health.
Dr. N. Senthil, Director, Centre for Plant Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, TNAU, inaugurated the event as Chief Guest. He applauded BIS’s efforts in promoting dialogue around agricultural standards and encouraged more such initiatives to support the agro-sector.
Guest of Honour Dr. M. Shanthi, Director, Centre for Plant Protection Studies, TNAU, spoke about TNAU’s active involvement in shaping Indian agricultural standards and urged students to explore entrepreneurship in the growing agri-tech space.
Another Guest of Honour, Dr. K. Sampath Kumar, Professor and Head, Kalaignarkarunanidhi Institute of Technology and a recipient of the Chief Minister’s Award for Excellence in Organic Farming, highlighted the need for farmer participation in standard-setting. He praised BIS for prioritizing end-user involvement, ensuring that standards remain practical and field-oriented.
Technical sessions led by Shri Rino John S, Scientist-D, and Shri V. Ramesh, Scientist-E, focused on the nuances of the neem-based EC draft standard, with stakeholders offering detailed feedback to refine and enhance the document.
This Manak Manthan initiative complements national missions such as Make in India, Atmanirbhar Bharat, and the Quality Council of India’s ZED scheme, furthering India’s drive toward quality, sustainability, and self-reliance in agriculture.