Metrication in India
Encyclopedia
Metrication
or metrification is the process of converting to the metric system
based on the International System of Units (SI)
. India's conversion to the metric system occurred in stages between 1955 and 1962. The metric system in weights and measures was adopted by the Indian Parliament in December 1956 with the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, which took effect beginning October 1, 1958. The Indian Coinage Act was passed in 1955 by the Government of India to introduce decimal coinage in the country. The new system of coins became legal tender on April 1957, where the rupee
consists of 100 paise. For the next five years, both the old and new systems were legal. In April 1962, all other systems were banned. This process of metrication is called "big-bang" route, which is to simultaneously outlaw the use of pre-metric measurement, metricise, reissue all government publications and laws, and change education systems to metric.
India
's conversion was quicker than that of many other countries, including its colonizer, the United Kingdom
. This was helped by low popular literacy
and the fact that there was previously no nationwide standard measurement system—British Imperial units were used by the upper class, while various regional systems were used by the poor. The India
n model was extremely successful and served later as a model for metrication in various African and Asian countries.
The National Physical Laboratory of India, located in New Delhi
, is designated the maintainer of SI units in India. It also calibrates the national standards of weights and measures.
were in vogue in other parts of the country and this was a constant problem with government officials and the public at large.
Mr. P. N. Seth was the founder and secretary of the Indian Decimal Society, whose aim it was to push for the introduction of the metric system in India. Mr. P. N. Seth was assisted by others in the society, such as Professors Dr. H. L. Roy, Dr. S. K. Mitra, and P.C. Mahalanobis, and other leading Indian scientists. Since 1930, they advocated for discarding the old chaotic system by writing in newspapers, journals, participating in debates and distributing literature.
During the interim government of post-WWII, there were attempts to introduce some standarization in weights and measures but the conservative section of the ruling party never allowed it to be passed. Then outstanding scientific personalities and public figures were mobilized by the Indian Decimal Society. Mr. P. N. Seth secretary, Indian Decimal Society, put forward a scheme for metrification of currency on January 17, 1944, which was finally adopted in Indian Parliament in 1955.
of crores and lakhs are used, while tyre rim diameters are still measured in inches. Road widths are popularly measured in feet but official documents use metres. Body temperature is still sometimes measured in degrees Fahrenheit
. Industries like the construction and the real estate industry still use both the metric and the Imperial system, perhaps because of their continued reliance on designs originating in the United states
.
Metrication
Metrication refers to the introduction and use of the SI metric system, the international standard for physical measurements. This has involved a long process of independent and systematic conversions of countries from various local systems of weights and measures. Metrication began in France in...
or metrification is the process of converting to the metric system
Metric system
The metric system is an international decimalised system of measurement. France was first to adopt a metric system, in 1799, and a metric system is now the official system of measurement, used in almost every country in the world...
based on the International System of Units (SI)
International System of Units
The International System of Units is the modern form of the metric system and is generally a system of units of measurement devised around seven base units and the convenience of the number ten. The older metric system included several groups of units...
. India's conversion to the metric system occurred in stages between 1955 and 1962. The metric system in weights and measures was adopted by the Indian Parliament in December 1956 with the Standards of Weights and Measures Act, which took effect beginning October 1, 1958. The Indian Coinage Act was passed in 1955 by the Government of India to introduce decimal coinage in the country. The new system of coins became legal tender on April 1957, where the rupee
Rupee
The rupee is the common name for the monetary unit of account in India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Pakistan, Mauritius, Seychelles, Maldives, and formerly in Burma, and Afghanistan. Historically, the first currency called "rupee" was introduced in the 16th century...
consists of 100 paise. For the next five years, both the old and new systems were legal. In April 1962, all other systems were banned. This process of metrication is called "big-bang" route, which is to simultaneously outlaw the use of pre-metric measurement, metricise, reissue all government publications and laws, and change education systems to metric.
India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
's conversion was quicker than that of many other countries, including its colonizer, the United Kingdom
Metrication in the United Kingdom
Metrication in the United Kingdom is the process of introducing the metric system of measurement in place of imperial units in the United Kingdom....
. This was helped by low popular literacy
Literacy
Literacy has traditionally been described as the ability to read for knowledge, write coherently and think critically about printed material.Literacy represents the lifelong, intellectual process of gaining meaning from print...
and the fact that there was previously no nationwide standard measurement system—British Imperial units were used by the upper class, while various regional systems were used by the poor. The India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n model was extremely successful and served later as a model for metrication in various African and Asian countries.
The National Physical Laboratory of India, located in New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, is designated the maintainer of SI units in India. It also calibrates the national standards of weights and measures.
History
Before metrication, the government of India followed the Indian Weights and Measures Act passed in 1870 which used the British Imperial system. However, many other indigenous systemsHistory of measurement systems in India
The history of measurement systems in India begins in early Indus Valley Civilization with the earliest surviving samples dated to the 5th millennium BCE. Since early times the adoption of standard weights and measures has reflected in the country's architectural, folk, and metallurgical artifacts...
were in vogue in other parts of the country and this was a constant problem with government officials and the public at large.
Mr. P. N. Seth was the founder and secretary of the Indian Decimal Society, whose aim it was to push for the introduction of the metric system in India. Mr. P. N. Seth was assisted by others in the society, such as Professors Dr. H. L. Roy, Dr. S. K. Mitra, and P.C. Mahalanobis, and other leading Indian scientists. Since 1930, they advocated for discarding the old chaotic system by writing in newspapers, journals, participating in debates and distributing literature.
During the interim government of post-WWII, there were attempts to introduce some standarization in weights and measures but the conservative section of the ruling party never allowed it to be passed. Then outstanding scientific personalities and public figures were mobilized by the Indian Decimal Society. Mr. P. N. Seth secretary, Indian Decimal Society, put forward a scheme for metrification of currency on January 17, 1944, which was finally adopted in Indian Parliament in 1955.
Common usage today
Today all official measurements are made in the metric system. However, in common usage some older Indians may still refer to British system units. Some measurements, such as the heights of mountains, are still recorded in feet. Additionally, the Indian numbering systemIndian numbering system
The South Asian numbering system, used today in the Indian subcontinent , is based on grouping by two decimal places, rather than the three decimal places commonplace in most parts of the world. This system of measurement introduces separators into numbers in places appropriate to the two-digit...
of crores and lakhs are used, while tyre rim diameters are still measured in inches. Road widths are popularly measured in feet but official documents use metres. Body temperature is still sometimes measured in degrees Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit
Fahrenheit is the temperature scale proposed in 1724 by, and named after, the German physicist Daniel Gabriel Fahrenheit . Within this scale, the freezing of water into ice is defined at 32 degrees, while the boiling point of water is defined to be 212 degrees...
. Industries like the construction and the real estate industry still use both the metric and the Imperial system, perhaps because of their continued reliance on designs originating in the United states
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.