Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)

WHY IN NEWS?

The Gems and Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) has urged union finance minister to roll back the 0.5% import duty on the rough coloured gemstone to protect the domestic industry.

ABOUT GJEPC

• The Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC) was set up by the Ministry of Commerce, Government of India in 1966.
• It was one of several Export Promotion Councils (EPCs) launched by the Indian Government, to boost the country’s export thrust, when India’s post-Independence economy began making forays in the international markets.
• Since 1998, the GJEPC has been granted autonomous status.
• The GJEPC is the apex body of the gems & jewellery industry and today it represents almost 6,000 exporters in the sector.
• With headquarters in Mumbai, the GJEPC has Regional Offices in New Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai, Surat and Jaipur, all of which are major centres for the industry.
• The GJEPC’s promotional activities include organising a number of important trade shows held in the country like the India International Jewellery Show (IIJS), Signature IIJS, India Gem & Jewellery Machinery Expo (IGJME).
• The Council produces a spectrum of published and digital material both as part of its various activities as well as standalone publications.
• It has been mandated by the Government as the nodal agency for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS), and plays a key role in maintaining the data and paperwork of the flow of all diamonds certified as “conflict-free” going in and out of the country.

Prelims Question

Q. Which of the following bodies act as the nodal agency for the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme (KPCS)?
a. Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT)
b. Gem & Jewellery Export Promotion Council (GJEPC)
c. National Institute of Design
d. All India Gem and Jewellery Domestic Council

Answer to the Prelims Question