The centres would be set up jointly by Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), the body that provides the ISI mark in India, and World Gold Council, the international body responsible for the management and assaying centres, Barnala said. "The system would be voluntary in nature and would enable the common man to verify the quality of the gold and gold products and also enable to distinguish between the vast majority of honest manufacturers and handful of black sheep," the minister said.

Speaking on the occasion of Rajiv Gandhi national awards presentation ceremony, Barnala said there had been an increased demand from various importers for obtaining BIS certification for their products especially in cases where BIS certification is mandatory for sale in India.

BIS was in the process of formulating suitableschemes so these products could be certified, he said. Barnala said Rajiv Gandhi National Quality Award had been constituted on the lines of Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award of USA, Deming Prize of Japan and European Quality Awards.

Several major industrial nations have undertaken quality audits before giving away such awards, he said. The award has given impetus and encouragement to both large-scale units and small-scale units, Barnala added.