geographical indication ( GI Tagging)

Topic - Intellectual property rights     Prelims      GS2 paper 

GI Tag

• India has been on GI granting spree since 2003 and has registered more than 380 items. More than half of them are food products of domestic consumption 
• GI  is a good start to build a narrative,  the idea that something is special because it comes from this region, with this kind of soil, climate, water, community and farming style. 
• GI tag is sign denoting a specific geographical origin and posses qualities or a reputation that are due to origin. It is a form of Intellectual property rights(IPR) is distinct from other forms of IPR as it ascribes the exclusivity to the community in a defined geography rather than to an Individual, as in the cases of trademark and patents. It can be issued for agricultural, natural, or manufactured goods that have a unique quality, reputation or other characteristics attributable to its geographical origin.
• GI refers to indication of the special goods identified in a specific geographical area of any country, state, district, local bodies or villages.
• GI Tagging represent the goods that are secured and no other person can use that registered name except authorised user.
• User may be an individual,  groups, NGO, companies etc that registered themselves with geographical indication registry under registrar.
• The head office of GI registry is in Chennai. 
• Users are registered for a maximum of ten years but may be time to time renewal for next ten years and then again.......and so on.
• Fee is  ₹ 5000 on registration for ten years.
• Goods may be agricultural products, crafts, arts, fruits, textiles, metals, etc.
• Goods must be special, specific, unique, in production, reputation or with any extra ordinary quality belongs to that territory specially.
• It provides security to users to keep its products unique and gives protection from unfair competitions. And no others can use that registered product's name for manufacturing or sale.
• Government searches market for these  goods for selling and export.
• And given special attention on it.

Note- 

• It came in existence in 2003 by an act known as 
• The Geographical Indications of Goods ( Registration and protection) Act, 1999.
• GI registry is quasi- judicial body 
• Bar code and tag are provided as GI tag.

Shahi litchi was the fourth agricultural products to get GI certification from Bihar in 2018, afterJardalu mango, Katarni rice and Magahi paan.  GI registration for Shahi Litchi is held with the Muzaffarpur-based Litchi Growers Association of Bihar.

G.I. TAGGED PRODUCTS OF INDIA 

Jammu and Kashmir 

Kashmir saffron:  India produces 13.2 metric tonnes in the highlands of the Jammu and Kashmir. Those precious filament are deeper red, with a distinctively long thick head. They are stronger in flavour and in aroma too. It's first bloom came from Persia before 500 BCE. It got GI in 2020. 

Note- Iran produces the most saffron, a staggering 300 metric tonnes.

Himachal Pradesh 

1. Handkerchief ( Chamba)
2. Kullu shawl and cap 
3. shawl of Kinnaur 
4. Kangara tea: it was granted GI in 2016, is only leaf tea -a green with a woody profile, and a black that leaves a mildly sweet aftertaste. It has demand from the key overseas market in Europe, Central Asia, Australia, Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

Goa

1. Khola Chillies: it is Goa' s first  agricultural product tagged in 2019, chilli was introduced by the Portuguese in India. It is grows on Goa's Hill slopes, emerging bright red but only mildly spicy, lending itself well to pickles, papads,and the Vinegary recheado paste. Currently India have 10 GI tagged chilli.
2. Feni wine 
3. Toddy

Uttarakhand 

1. Bhatia Dann hand woven carpet 
2. Chyura oil ( Rudrapur) : it produced from the seeds of Chyura tree( Botanical name is Bassia Butyracea). It is also known as Indian Butter Tree found in abundance in Kumaon, particularly in Pithoragarh across Himalayas at height ranging from 600 to 1500 metres. this oil is used in the production of various soaps production, ghee, lip balm, face and body cream etc. For example, five soaps ( Chyura Tulsi, Chyura apricot, Chyura nettle and wood ash, chyura wild turmeric, Chyura rose and rhododendron ), other products are being produced such as Ghee and vegetable oil. Scope for large scale soap production, cream production. For this a processing unit has been setup that providing jobs and will boost livelihoods. 

Assam 

1. Judima Rice Wine: gets GI tag in 2021, northeast India's first beverage to get this unique distinction. It is a traditional rice based wine of Dimasa tribe community of Assam. It is made from sticky rice and traditional herbs. The wine is traditionally made by the community's women who ferment sticky rice with a mimosa - like local bark called thembra for a week. It is central  the Dimasa celebration and is drunk at births, deaths, wedding and religious festivities 
2. Assam tea

Meghalaya 

1. Lakadong turmeric

Nagaland

1. Nagaland chilli
2. Sweet cucumber  

Manipur

1. Orange 
2. Chilli 

Sikkim 

1. Hot Dalle Khorsani Cherry Peppers 

West Bengal 

1. Khirsapapati mango(Malda)
2. Lakshmanbhog mango ( Malda)
3. Fazil mango ( Malda,)
4. Amrapali   mango (Malda)
5. Chausa  mango( Malda )
6. Langada  mango(Nadia)
7. Fazli  mango (Malda)
8. Mihidana sweet dish ( Bardhman)
9. Jaynagar Moa ( Jaynagar)
10. Darjeeling tea: India first registered GI tag is Darjeeling tea Hot GI tag in 2004
11. Hot Dalle Khorsani Cherry Peppers Darjeeling 

Bihar 

1. Jardalu mango (Bhagalpur) : exported to UK
2. Katarni rice
3. Magadhi pan
4. Shahi lichi(Muzaffarpur): India is the second largest producer of litchi (Litchi chin) in the world, after China. Muzzafarpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districtsd adjoining areas of Bihar have favorable climate for growing Shahi Litchi.
5. Silao KhaJa ( Silao region, Nalanda,  Bihar) :  it is many layered as many as 16 thin, flacky sheets, made from local wheat dough, are dexterously stacked, along with sugar, maida, ghee cardamon and aniseed, and fried to a light Gold crisp puff. It is lighter and less sweet than other varieties. The Buddha was offered the sweet when he passed through Silao while making his way from Rajgir to Nalanda. The Chinese traveller Hiuen Tsang mentions it in his writings on Mithila. It got GI in 2018.

Odisha 

1. Odisha Rasgulla

Andhra Pradesh 

1. Banganapalli mango (Krishna) 
2. Survarnarekha mango ( Chittor)
3. Araku Valley Arabica Coffee: smooth, sweet. India is the world's 6th largest producer of Coffee. It is being exported to Italy, The UAE, Spain, Spain and France. It was come in GI in 2019. It is grown in the warm, dense, iron rich naxal belt of Andhra Pradesh and Odisha. 

Uttar Pradesh 

UP has currently total 34 GI certification out of which 17 belongs to Varanasi.

1. Banarasi Gulabi Meenakari Craft: or pink enameling on metal surface, a unique and age old art form of Varanasi such as jewelry and artfacts are high in demand across world are being made by women craftsmen training and preservation are happening. Women artisans make pendants, ear rings, necklaces, also artefacts such as elephant and peacocks , using colour derived from natural things like rose petals, sandalwood oil, and some other material. They use this color for Gulabi Meenakari on Gold and Silver jewellery and artefacts. The craft now become a source for the livelihoods for the women artisans and getting orders about crores of rupees every year after getting GI tag in 2015, that played crucial role in the revival of this craft as demand for the artefacts and jewellery increased and at present its annual turnover is around Rs10 crores. Gulabi Meenakari artefacts are in great demand in Europe and USA.
2. Varanasi Soft Stone Jali Work
3. Varanasi Wooden Lacquerware and Toys
4. Kashi Zari Zardozi craft 
5. Banarasi Metal Repousse Craft 
6. Varanasi Glass Beads 
7.  Allahabadi Lal Surkha and Safeda  Guawa ( Allahabad) 
   
   
   
8. Hand made carpet (Bhadohi)
9. Terracotta (Gorakhpur) 
10. Perfume (Kannauj) 
11. Metal craft (Moradabad) 
12. Pottery (Khurja)
13. Black Pottery (Azamgarh)
14. Kalanamak rice: 
• It obtained GI in 2013.
• It sounds salty but the indigenous rice from the UP 's Purvanchal region has long held a reputation for being sweeter than regular rice. It gets its name from black husk 
• Lord Buddha is said to have broken his fast upon enlightened by consuming kheer made of this rice on the banks of river Haryanvati and also gave it to his disciples. 
• It still makes a great kheer. 
• The Buddha is also said to have given the grains of this rice to farmers of the region and asked them to cultivate it.
• Kalanamak rice is famous for its rich aroma, taste and health benefits 
• This explains the demand for the rice from Japan, Thailand, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Bhutan. 
• Kushinagar where lord Buddha taken Mahaparinirvan ( breathed his last) on the land before it he had given Buddism to the World. 
• (Siddhanagar, Gorakhpur, Bahraich, sravasti, Maharajganj, Deoria etc.): it got GI tag in 2010-11 and its variety is KN-3.
• In 2017, Kalanamak rice was listed in the one district on product scheme of Siddhanagar ( the place associated with the birth of lord Buddha)
• It saw a major jump In production from 100,000 hectares ( in 2010) to 50,000 this year. 
15. Dushhery mango  ( Malihabad)

Madhya Pradesh 

Kadaknath Black Chicken Meat  ( Jhabua and Dhar ): Kadaknath gains weight slowly and the hens lay fewer eggs than their regular white counterpart. But the Kadaknath meat is high in  protein and low in cholesterol and has the lowest fat content if any Indian chicken breed. 

It is traditionally farmed by the Bhil  tribe.

Aromatic rice:

Rajasthan 

Bikaner Bhujia

GUJRAT 

1. Gir Keshar Mango
2. Bhalia wheat: It received GI certification in 2011. It is grown Bhatia region of Gujrat which includes Anand,  Kheda, Bhavanagar, Bharuch, Ahmedabad, Surendra Nagar. It has high protein content and is sweet in taste and grown in rainfed areas without Irrigation.  It is exported to Yeman, Sri Lanka, Indonesia,  Philippines, Iran, Cambodia, Myanmar, Bhutan, Kenya. 

Maharashtra 

1. Jalgaon banana ( Jalgaon district) : It got certification in 2016. India is world’s leading producer of banana with a share of around 25% in total output. Exported to Dubai.
• Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra,  Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, TamilNadu,  Gujarat, Bihar,  Kerala contribute more than 70% country’s banana production.
2. Nasik valley wine
3. Dhanu Gholwad Chikoo or Sapota( Mud Apple) ( Palghar): it is grown in the Calcium rich soil of Pakghar just out side the Mumbai and and got its Gi in 2017 and was  exported to UK. It is also used for the purposes of breakfast  wine production, and chocolate manufacturing. 
4. Onion 

Telangana 

1. Hyderabadi Haleem: it got GI Tagging in 2010. It is a meaty ramzan preparation. It is a mild dish of wheat soaked overnight lentils mixed with,  the mixed is then boiled and cooked with meat and animal fat, strained and  hand-pounded.

Karnataka

1. Mysore silk
2. Pomellos 

Kerala 

1. Pokkali rice
2. Pine apple 
3. Nilgiri tea
4. Edayur chilli 

Tamilnadu 

1. Madurai malli flower ( Nilakottai, Dindigul, Sathyamangalam)
2. Kanchipuram silk

Note:

• Bihar, U.P., Telangana, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal are the mar  mango producer in India. And exported to various regions and countries including Middle East,  European Union,  USA, Japan,  South Korea etc.
• India is world’s leading producer of banana with a share of around 25% in total output. Exported to Dubai.
• Andhra Pradesh, Maharastra,  Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, TamilNadu,  Gujarat, Bihar,  Kerala contribute more than 70% country’s banana production.
• APEDA promotes export of agricultural and processed food product by providing assistance to the exporters under various components of its scheme such as Infrastructure development,  product quality development, market development, buyers sellers meets etc .
• India is the second largest producer of litchi (Litchi chin) in the world, after China. Muzzaferpur, Vaishali, Samastipur, Champaran, Begusarai districts and adjoining areas of Bihar have favourable climate for growing Shahi Litchi.
• basmati rice GI tagged

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List of GI products 

https://www.gitagged.com/

Reference

https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1727440

The Geographical Indications of Goods ( Registration and protection) Act, 1999