National Test House inks MoU with DRDO’s DMSRDE

• Quality testing service provider National Test House has inked an MoU with the Defence Materials and Stores Research & Development Establishment (DMSRDE), a laboratory of the Defence Research & Development Organisation (DRDO).

DMSRDE

• Defence Materials and Stores Research and Development Establishment (DMSRDE), Kanpur was established in 1929 as the Inspectorate of General Store in the Harness & Saddlery Factory, Cawnpore. 

• DMSRDE in its present form was established in 1976 as part of DRDO by the merger of three establishments erstwhile Defence Research Laboratory (Materials); Textiles and Stores Research & Development Establishment; and Defence Institute of Stores Preservation and Packaging.

• DMSRDE is engaged in research and development of non-metallic materials such as polymers, composites, elastomers, ceramics, technical textiles, fuels, lubricants and other specialty materials critical for defence applications.

National Test House

• National Test House (NTH), a premier testing and quality assurance institution under the Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution, has a longstanding history of supporting India's industrial growth.

• Established in 1912, NTH has expanded its services across multiple sectors, providing crucial testing, calibration, and quality evaluation services for both public and private industries. 

• NTH was formerly known as the Government Test House. Initially founded in Calcutta by the Railway Board, its primary objective was to address the needs of the Indian Railways by focusing on import substitution. Over time, the scope of its services expanded significantly.

• NTH is India’s largest multi-location multidisciplinary industrial central government’s testing laboratory dealing with almost all sorts of testing, calibration and quality evaluation related to industry, commerce, trade, etc as per international and national standards.

• At present, NTH is providing facilities like testing, evaluation, and calibration of raw materials as well as finished products to the end users through its branches established at Kolkata, Mumbai, Chennai, Ghaziabad, Jaipur, Guwahati, and Varanasi.

• NTH technologists represent about 150 forums set up by the Bureau of Indian Standards for the formulation of National Standards.

• It is providing assistance to the National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories (NABL) in accrediting testing and calibration laboratories across the country.

The MoU aims to facilitate:

i) Collaborative research and testing activities.

ii) Sharing of laboratory and instrumentation facilities.

iii) Exchange of scientific and technical expertise.

iv) Capacity building through seminars, workshops and training programmes.

v) Cooperation in areas of mutual interest and national importance.

• Under the agreement, both institutions will extend mutual support in testing and evaluation services, particularly in cases where specialised facilities are not available in-house, subject to agreed terms and conditions. 

• The collaboration is also expected to promote knowledge sharing and skill development among scientific and technical personnel.

(The author is a trainer for Civil Services aspirants.)