Q1. After the Phase VI rollout in March 2026, mandatory gold hallmarking by BIS now covers how many districts in India?
Explanation
The Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) expanded mandatory gold hallmarking to 380 districts with the rollout of Phase VI from March 2, 2026. India has around 800 districts, meaning nearly half the country is now covered. Mandatory hallmarking has been implemented in phases since June 2021, starting with 256 districts in Phase I.
