Maarg Manthan · Topic 17.10

National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL)

Science & Technology › Science & Technology Policy and Institutions in India · Topic 17.10

The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories, NABL, is a constituent board of the Quality Council of India, QCI, which provides accreditation to testing, calibration and medical laboratories and to proficiency testing providers and reference material producers. NABL was set up in 1981 by the Department of Science and Technology and became part of the QCI in 1998. It accredits laboratories against the international standard ISO/IEC 17025 for testing and calibration, ISO 15189 for medical laboratories, ISO/IEC 17043 for proficiency testing and ISO 17034 for reference materials. NABL is a signatory to the mutual recognition arrangements of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation and the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation, so that its accredited reports are accepted abroad. Accreditation is voluntary but often needed for regulation and trade.

5 min read · UPSC Prelims · Science & Technology · Science & Technology Policy and Institutions in India

At a Glance

Parent body Quality Council of India
Set up 1981 (under DST); QCI board 1998
Main standard ISO/IEC 17025
Medical labs ISO 15189
International link ILAC and APAC MRAs
Exam link UPSC Prelims, Science & Technology: Science & Technology Policy and Institutions in India

Where Does It Fit?

This topic follows the account of the Technology Development Board. NABL supports quality and trust in testing, which is essential for trade, regulation and technology transfer. Previous topic: Technology Development Board. Next topic: India’s International Collaboration in Science Projects.

What Is NABL and What Does It Accredit?

Aspect	Details
Meaning	Accreditation is formal recognition by an authoritative body that an organisation is competent to do specific tests or calibrations. It differs from certification of a management system
History	NABL was started in 1981 under the Department of Science and Technology and moved to the Quality Council of India in 1998 as one of its boards
Quality Council of India	Set up in 1997 as a non-profit autonomous body by the Government of India with industry associations ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI. The nodal ministry is the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade
ISO/IEC 17025	The standard for competence of testing and calibration laboratories
ISO 15189	The standard for medical laboratories, such as diagnostic labs
Other schemes	Proficiency testing providers (ISO/IEC 17043) and reference material producers (ISO 17034)
Process	Application, document review, on-site assessment by technical experts, corrective action and decision

Which Other Boards Exist and Why Is NABL Important?

NABCB: National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies, which accredits bodies that certify management systems and products
NABH: National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers
NABET: National Accreditation Board for Education and Training
NBQP: National Board for Quality Promotion
Recognition abroad: NABL is a signatory to ILAC and APAC mutual recognition arrangements, so a test report from an accredited Indian lab can be accepted in many countries without retesting
Trade: reduces technical barriers to trade
Regulation: regulators such as FSSAI and the Bureau of Indian Standards recognise NABL accredited labs
Public health: accredited diagnostic labs are trusted for results, for example for COVID-19 testing

What Else Should You Remember?

Calibration: comparison of an instrument with a standard to check its accuracy
Traceability: linking measurement to national and international standards
National Physical Laboratory: keeps India’s measurement standards, as in Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
Measurement uncertainty: the doubt about a result
Proficiency testing: labs test the same samples and results are compared
Reference material: a substance with known properties used to check test methods
ILAC: International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation
APAC: Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation
ISO: International Organization for Standardization
IEC: International Electrotechnical Commission
BIS: Bureau of Indian Standards, the national standards body, which sets standards and runs certification marks like ISI
FSSAI: food safety regulator that approves NABL labs for food testing
Quality assurance in schemes: labs in schemes such as Swachh Bharat testing water
Number of labs: thousands of labs hold NABL accreditation, in testing, calibration and medical fields
Voluntary: accreditation is voluntary unless a regulation requires it
Link: institutions are in Department of Science and Technology (DST)
Link to IPR: quality and standards are separate from IPR, as in Patents
Assessors: trained technical assessors audit labs on site
Surveillance: accredited labs are re-checked regularly and accreditation is renewed after a fixed period
Complaints: users can complain about an accredited lab and NABL can suspend or withdraw accreditation
Medical lab quality: NABL accredited labs follow quality systems for sample handling and reporting of results
Government use: several ministries require NABL accredited labs for testing in schemes and tenders
Make in India: local testing capacity helps manufacturers to certify products in India instead of abroad

Why Does It Matter for the Exam?

Parent: Quality Council of India
Standard: ISO/IEC 17025
Other boards: NABH, NABCB, NABET
Current affairs link: lab accreditation drives
Common errors: confusing accreditation with certification or placing NABL under BIS

As an analytical point, quality infrastructure of standards, testing and accreditation gives confidence to buyers and regulators. Reliable Indian labs reduce trade barriers and protect consumers, especially in food, drugs and exports.

Why Is This Topic Important?

Role Accredit labs
Standards ISO 17025, 15189
Trade Mutual recognition

What Came Next?

The next topic covers India’s international collaboration in science projects. Next topic: India’s International Collaboration in Science Projects.

Key People and Terms

NABL National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories
QCI Quality Council of India
Accreditation Formal competence recognition
Calibration Instrument accuracy check
MRA Mutual recognition arrangement
ILAC International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation

Exam Corner

Points to Remember

NABL moved to QCI in 1998; QCI set up 1997.
Testing labs: ISO/IEC 17025.
Medical labs: ISO 15189.
NABH is for hospitals.
QCI nodal ministry: DPIIT.

Do Not Confuse With

Accreditation and certification Competence of a lab versus conformity of a system or product
NABL and BIS Lab accreditation versus standard making
NABL and NABH Labs versus hospitals

Memory Hook

QCI houses the boards: NABL for labs, NABH for hospitals, NABCB for certifiers.

Mains Angle

Questions ask for parent, standards and sister boards. These points help.

Role Trust in testing
Boards QCI
Trade MRAs

A Question You May Face

An original practice question, not a past paper question.

“Explain the role of NABL and the Quality Council of India in building quality infrastructure for trade and public health.”

How to Answer

Concept Accreditation.
NABL Standards.
QCI boards Others.
Benefits Trade, health.

GS Relevance

Prelims: NABL parent, standards, year, difference from certification. GS Paper 3: quality infrastructure, trade, science and technology.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is NABL?

The National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories is a board of the Quality Council of India that accredits laboratories against international standards such as ISO/IEC 17025 for testing and calibration and ISO 15189 for medical labs. It helps users trust test and calibration results.

What is the difference between accreditation and certification?

Accreditation is the formal recognition of the technical competence of a body, such as a laboratory, to carry out specific tasks, done by an accreditation board like NABL. Certification is a statement by a certification body that a product, process or management system meets a standard. NABCB accredits the certifiers.

Which ministry looks after the Quality Council of India?

The Quality Council of India was set up in 1997 as an autonomous body by the Government with the industry associations ASSOCHAM, CII and FICCI. The Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade of the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is its nodal department.

Why is NABL accreditation important for exports?

NABL is a signatory to the international arrangements of ILAC and the Asia Pacific Accreditation Cooperation, so test reports from NABL accredited labs are accepted in many countries. This avoids repeat testing of exports, lowers costs and reduces technical barriers to trade.

What are other boards of the Quality Council of India?

Other boards of the Quality Council of India include the National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies, NABCB, the National Accreditation Board for Hospitals and Healthcare Providers, NABH, the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training, NABET, and the National Board for Quality Promotion.

PYQ Practice — Statement Analysis

1 NABL is a board of the Quality Council of India.

True

Since 1998.

2 ISO/IEC 17025 applies to medical laboratories.

False

ISO 15189 is for medical labs.

3 NABH accredits hospitals.