The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), Bangalore Branch Office and Laboratory, organized a “Walk for Quality” as a precursor event to the upcoming World Standards Day 2024 celebrations. The 3 km walk, starting from Govt PU College, T. Dasarahalli, and concluding at AIMS Institute, Peenya, Bengaluru, was aimed at raising awareness about the importance of quality standards in everyday life and encouraging the adoption of Indian Standards for a safer and more reliable society. The event commenced at 6:00 a.m. and saw enthusiastic participation from over 480 individuals including representatives from Air Force Station-Jalahalli, Indian Army, Traffic Wardens Organisation, Karnataka Small Scale Industry Association, Standards Engineers Institute, University of Visvesvaraya College of Engineering, BMS Institute of Technology, manufacturers, industrialists, academicians and students from various Standards Clubs and members of the media. The walk was flagged off by Ms. Amisha Sarika Wadkar, Founder, Sapthashwa Run Club; The Best Sports Person of the Year in Athletics-Mid Distance (2013); Marathon Runner; and a three-time participant at the World Meet. In his welcome speech, Shri Vijayaveeran K, Scientist-E/Director and Head, highlighted that the walk aimed to foster a culture of quality consciousness among the public and promote adherence to Indian Standards, which ensure safety, reliability, and quality in products and services. He expressed his gratitude to all participants for their support and enthusiasm in championing the cause of quality awareness. Ms. Amisha Sarika Wadkar appreciated the efforts of BIS and remarked on the critical role of standards in ensuring a quality-driven society. She commended BIS’s initiatives in promoting quality consciousness and congratulated them on organizing the event as a meaningful lead-up to World Standards Day. Addressing the gathering, Ms. Nagamani T, Scientist-E/Director and Head, BIS Bangalore Laboratory, emphasized BIS’s commitment to safeguarding consumer interests through quality standards and underscored the importance of active public participation in creating a standards-conscious society. This “Quality Walk” marks one of the key initiatives in the lead-up to World Standards Day 2024, which will be celebrated globally to recognize the efforts of the thousands of experts who develop international standards. The theme for this year’s celebration is SHARED VISION FOR A BETTER WORLD – INCORPORATING SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT GOALS 9 “Achieving Industry, – Innovation, and Infrastructure through Al” underscoring the role of standards in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
