<P> 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 . </P> <P> 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 systems were in use in other parts of the country and this was a constant problem with government officials and the public at large . </P> <P> PN 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 . PN Seth was assisted by others in the society, such as Professors Dr HL Roy, Dr SK Mitra, and PC 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 . </P> <P> During the post-WW II interim government, there were attempts to introduce some standardisation 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 mobilised by the Indian Decimal Society . PN Seth put forward a scheme for metrification of currency on 17 January 1944, which was finally adopted in Indian Parliament in 1955 . </P>

Metric system of weights and measures in india