Fact Check: Centre has not postponed mandatory hallmarking of gold

The letter in Hindi Read "ज्वेलरी लाईन की चिंता हटी, भारत सरकार द्वारा जून 2021 से सोने के जेवरात को विक्री हेतु दुकानदार को हॉलमार्क ज्वेलरी विक्री जरूरी के परी पत्रक को कोविडवर्ष के कारण *एक वर्ष ख्ख० जून* तक स्थगित आदेश जारी किये हैं जिससे भारत के सभी ज्वेलरी व्यवसायी को राहत मिलेगी?.. *साथ मे परिपत्र भेजा हैं… किर्तीकुमार वर्मा अंकिता ज्वेलर्स अकोट* हॉलमार्किंग जून 2022 तक रोका गया"

"Concern of jewelry line has been removed. The Government of India has issued orders to postpone the mandatory hallmarking of gold jewelry by one year from June 2021. All jewelry traders will get relief. Kirti Kumar Verma, Ankita Jewelers, Akot. Hallmarking stopped till June 2022 (sic)," reads its English translation.

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Fact Check:

The claim is false.

NewsMeter performed a keyword search 'hallmarking postponed' and found a report published by Free Press Journal dated April 19, 2021. "All India Gem and Jewelry Domestic Council (GJC) wrote a letter to Consumer Affairs, Food, and Public Distribution Ministry and asked the government to extend the deadline for implementation of mandatory hallmarking of gold jewelry to June 2022 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and lack of infrastructure. But the report does not mention the response of the government," it said.

However, we did not find any recent report which stated that the hallmarking has been postponed.

Secondly, we found a report by Economic Times dated June 24, 2021. "Gold hallmarking initially started in 256 districts which have assaying marking centers. However, to give adequate time to the manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers of gold jewelry, there would be no penalties till August end. Thus, jewelers have time until August-end to get their current gold jewelry stock assessed by the gold hallmarking center (if applicable) without penalty," it said.

We found a press release by the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution on June 16, 2021. The ministry said that it is essential for hallmarking of Gold made in 256 districts of India. The press release read: "Hallmark will include six-digit code along with BIS Mark & Purity and delivery voucher to be issued to Jeweler for utmost transparency."

Further, we found even PIB Fact Check also took to Twitter to refute the viral claim. The Tweet read, "एक पत्र के साथ फ़र्ज़ी हैडलाइन जोड़कर यह दावा किया जा रहा है कि #कोविड के कारण हॉलमार्किंग जून 2022 तक रोका जा रहा है।" (Which translates in English as "A letter is being added with a false headline claiming that due to Covid hallmarking is being stopped till June 2022.")

Evidently, the claim is false.