New Gold Hallmarking Rules: Rules for purchasing gold have changed in 5 states, including Delhi, UP, and Bihar..
If you are planning to purchase gold or gold jewellery in the near future, this news is for you. The Department of Consumer Affairs has issued an important update for gold buyers and jewellers, introducing a significant amendment to the 'Gold Jewellery and Gold Artefacts Hallmarking Order, 2020'.
Under this fourth amendment, the government has brought 6 additional districts across the country under the ambit of mandatory hallmarking, bringing the total number of districts with mandatory hallmarking requirements to 398.
6 New Districts Added to the List
This amendment was officially notified on November 2, 2026, and published in the Gazette on November 3, 2026. According to this new order, the regulations are now in effect for jewellers and buyers in the 6 newly added districts.
This significant order, issued by the Ministry, bears the signature of Additional Secretary Richa Mishra and is filed under reference number V-6/1/2017-BIS(Part-2).
It is worth noting that a previous amendment—the third one, issued on August 3, 2026—had brought 392 districts under this framework; that number has now risen to 398. This network currently spans 26 states and union territories across the country.
The 6 Districts Included
You might be wondering which new areas the government has brought under this mandatory system. According to the list released by the government, the 6 newly added districts are as follows:
Bihar: The West Champaran district of this state has been added to the list, bringing the total number of districts in Bihar that fall under the mandatory hallmarking requirement to 26. Delhi: The National Capital Region already included several districts, and now South West Delhi has also been added (while South East Delhi was already part of the list). With this, a total of 9 districts in Delhi are now covered under these provisions.
Gujarat: The Panchmahal district of this western state has been included, bringing the total number of districts in Gujarat covered by this regulation to 26.
Uttar Pradesh: In Uttar Pradesh, one of the country's largest states, two significant districts—Bulandshahr and Sant Kabir Nagar—have now been included. This brings the total number of districts in Uttar Pradesh covered by these rules to 41, the highest for any state in the country.
Uttarakhand: In the hilly state of Uttarakhand, the Rudraprayag district has been newly added, bringing the total number of districts in the state under the ambit of mandatory hallmarking to 8.
What is the situation across the country?
With the addition of these 6 new districts, it has now become illegal to sell gold jewellery without a hallmark in a total of 398 districts across 26 states and union territories in India. This extensive list already includes districts from Andhra Pradesh (18), Assam (12), Chandigarh (1), Chhattisgarh (5), Goa (2), Haryana (21), Himachal Pradesh (4), Jammu & Kashmir (5), Jharkhand (7), Karnataka (20), Kerala (14), Madhya Pradesh (19), Maharashtra (30), Odisha (12), Puducherry (2), Punjab (20), Rajasthan (26), Tamil Nadu (32), Telangana (13), Tripura (3), and West Bengal (22).
The primary objective of this government initiative is to protect the interests of consumers and ensure transparency regarding the purity of gold in the market. If you also reside in any of these districts—whether new or existing—and are planning to purchase gold, ensure that the jewellery you buy bears the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS) hallmark, so as to protect yourself against any form of adulteration or fraud.
Disclaimer: This content has been sourced and edited from Dainik Jagran. While we have made modifications for clarity and presentation, the original content belongs to its respective authors and website. We do not claim ownership of the content.
