International Committee for Weights and Measures

Prof. Venu Gopal Achanta Director, CSIR-National Physical Laboratory (CSIR-NPL), New Delhi, has been elected as a member of the International Committee for Weights and Measures (CIPM).

Details –

The CIPM is a supreme international committee which functions under the authority of General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM).

About the ‘General Conference on Weights and Measures (CGPM)’ –

• CGPM is a highest intergovernmental international organisation created as diplomatic treaty called Meter Convention signed on 20th May 1875 in Paris.
• It is responsible for development and implementation of International Systems of Unites, universally abbreviated as SI, its wide dissemination; make necessary modifications time to time for the advancement of science and technology.
• Advancement of Industry in the country is directly dependent on the state of its metrology capabilities.
• This year CGPM has adopted 7 important resolutions including new SI prefixes ronna (10²⁷), quetta (10³⁰), ronto (10-²⁷) and quecto (10-³⁰).
• With this nomenclature, mass of the electron (1 quectogram) and weight of earth (1 ronnagram) can be expressed easily in SI units.
• Members — At present, CGPM is represented by 64 member countries and meets every 4th year at International Bureau of Weight and Measure (BIPM), France.

Functions –

• The CIPM advises and recommends the amendments, changes, alterations to the SI to the CGPM for formal adoption.
• It can also pass resolutions and recommendations about the basic units of measurements, if needed, at its own authority.
• The primary objective of the CIPM, comprised of 18 members from 18 member states (nations), is to promote international harmonisation of SI, meets annually, deliberate reports sent by its 18 Consultative Committees (CCs), among other matters brought to its notice as per mandate.
• Each member of the CIPM takes the responsibility of Chairmanship of one CC.

About India’s Standards of Weights and Measures Act –

• The Government of India enacted the “Standards of Weights and Measures Act” for the first time in 1956 to ensure that every citizen has access to uniform standards of weights and measures those are traceable to the SI units.
• During the year 1957, India became member of the CGPM.