"Rajasthan farmers contest GI tags granted to Gujarat's Unjha cumin and fennel"
Geographical Indication (GI)
IP right identifying a product whose quality/reputation is essentially attributable to its geographical origin.
TRIPS Agreement
WTO treaty (Articles 22–24) mandating member states to protect geographical indications from misleading use.
Geographical Indications (GIs) are a form of intellectual property that identify a product as originating from a specific place, where a given quality, reputation, or other characteristic is essentially attributable to that geographical origin. In India, GIs are governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into force in 2003, and the accompanying GI Rules, 2002. The Act was enacted to fulfil India's obligations under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS), specifically Articles 22–24, which mandate member countries of the World Trade Organization to provide legal means for interested parties to prevent misleading use of geographical indications.
The GI Registry is located in Chennai and functions under the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks. Once registered, a GI tag grants the registered proprietor — typically a producers' association, cooperative, or government body — the exclusive right to use the geographical name for the product. Registration is valid for ten years and is renewable. India has registered over 600 GIs, spanning agricultural products (Darjeeling Tea, Alphonso Mango, Basmati Rice), handicrafts (Pashmina, Kanchipuram Silk), and manufactured goods. Agricultural GIs are particularly significant because they can command price premiums in domestic and export markets, directly affecting farmer incomes.
The legal criterion for GI registration under the 1999 Act requires that the product's quality, reputation, or other characteristic be essentially attributable to its geographical origin — meaning the place of production, not merely the place of trade or aggregation. This distinction between a production hub and a marketing centre lies at the heart of the current dispute.
The GI registration process in India involves filing an application with the GI Registry, which examines it for compliance with the Act's criteria. Applications must include a statement of case describing the product, its geographical area, proof of origin, and evidence linking the product's qualities to that geography — including environmental, edaphic (soil), and climatic factors, as well as traditional knowledge or cultivation practices. The Registry publishes accepted applications in the GI Journal for public opposition before final registration.
A critical conceptual distinction in GI law is between production-linked and reputation-linked GIs. Under TRIPS Article 22, a GI must reflect a quality or characteristic essentially attributable to geographical origin. However, Article 22(1) also allows reputation alone — even without a direct quality link — to qualify, which is why some GIs are granted to places known more for processing or trade than primary cultivation. …
Which one of the following best describes the concept of 'Small Farmer Large Field'?
As per the NSSO 70th Round "Situation Assessment Survey of Agricultural Households", consider the following statements :
1.Rajasthan has the highest percentage share of agricultural households among its rural households.
2.Out of the total agricultural households in the country, a little over 60 percent belong to OBCs.
3.In Kerala, a little over 60 percent of agricultural households reported to have received maximum income from sources other than agricultural activities.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
With reference to Geographical Indications (GIs) in India, consider the following statements:
1.The GI Registry is located in Mumbai.
2.A GI registration in India is valid for ten years and is renewable.
3.Under the TRIPS Agreement, a GI can be granted solely on the basis of a product's trade reputation, without any requirement of a quality link to the geographical origin.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 was enacted primarily to fulfil India's obligations under which of the following?
Assertion (A): A Geographical Indication tag can, in principle, be granted to a place that is primarily known as a trading and aggregation centre for a commodity, even if actual cultivation predominantly occurs elsewhere.
Reason (R): The TRIPS Agreement (Article 22) permits GI protection based on a product's reputation attributable to a geographical origin, not only on a direct quality-production link.
Which of the following is correct?
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