Seven Products From U.P. Get GI Tag
Context
Seven distinct goods from Uttar Pradesh now have trademarks attributable to the Geographical Indications Registry in Chennai. The goods that have received the Geographical Indication (GI) label include “Amroha Dholak,” “Mahoba Gaura Patthar Hastashlip,” “Mainpuri Tarkashi,” “Sambhal Horn Craft,” “Baghpat Home Furnishings,” “Barabanki Handloom Product,” and “Kalpi Handmade Paper.”
What are GI tags?
- Identification of Origin: A GI’s main purpose is to indicate that a product comes from a specific area of the world. This aids customers in differentiating products depending on their country of origin and helps them make wise purchases.
- Link to Place of Origin: A product’s attributes, traits, or reputation should largely be attributed to its place of origin. The distinctive characteristics of the product are influenced by geographical aspects such as climate, soil, conventional wisdom, cultural practices, and others.
- Protection and Regulation: In many nations and regions, geographical indications are legally protected. Laws and regulations specify the requirements for a product to be recognised as a GI and offer safeguards against unauthorised use, false labelling, or product imitation. The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 aims to better safeguard geographical indications used in connection with commodities in India by allowing for their registration.
- Product Categories: Different product categories, such as agricultural commodities, food and drinks, handicrafts, textiles, and industrial goods, might use geographic indicators. Wines, cheeses, fruits, handicrafts, and textiles are a few examples.
- Information for Consumers: GIs give consumers useful details about the source and calibre of products. Customers can rely on the distinctive qualities, standing, and traditional knowledge connected to items from particular geographical areas.
- Economic Benefits: Geographical indications have a positive economic impact on local and regional economies. By giving local producers a market for their distinctive goods, they support local producers, maintain cultural heritage, and promote and protect traditional knowledge.
- Cultural and environmental preservation: GIs contribute to the preservation of regionally specific natural resources, traditional production techniques, and cultural practices. This stimulates biodiversity preservation and sustainable practices.
- International Recognition: Geographical indications may also be given worldwide status using conventions and treaties. Examples include the protection of GIs under the Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) of the World Trade Organisation.
What Rights do GI tags provide?
- Geographical indication rights grant the ability to restrict the use of an indication by a third party that doesn’t meet the relevant standards.
- Producers with the Darjeeling geographical indication can prevent the use of “Darjeeling” for tea that isn’t grown in their gardens or produced according to specified standards.
- Protected geographical indications don’t prevent others from using the same techniques outlined in the standards for that indication.
- Obtaining protection for a geographical indication often involves acquiring rights over the corresponding sign or symbol.
What are the types of products that GI tags are used for?
Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products.
Which products got a GI tag from UP recently?
- Amroha Dholak: An Amroha Dholak is a wooden musical instrument. Mango, jackfruit, and teakwood are the three types of wood most frequently used to make dholaks. Mango and sheesham trees are used to carve hollow blocks of various sizes and forms for the instrument. To produce the dholak, these blocks are then covered in animal skin, typically goatskin.
- Mahoba Gaura Patthar Hastashlip: Mahoba Gaura Patthar Hastashlip is a stone sculpture fashioned from a rare and soft stone known scientifically as the “Pyro Flight Stone.” The stone is primarily found in the Mahoba region and is brilliant white. It is used to make a variety of craft products.
- Mainpuri Tarkashi: Brass wire inlay work on wood characterises this well-liked art form. It is a Mainpuri-born product that was formerly used to make the wooden sandals known as “khadaous.” As a replacement for leather, which some houses deemed dirty, this type of painting gained popularity.
- Sambhal Horncraft: Sambhal Horncraft uses raw materials derived from animal carcasses. The handmade item is unique to the Sambhal region.
- Baghpat Home Furnishings: For years, Baghpat and Meerut have been known for their high-end, handcrafted home furnishings and flowing fabrics made of cotton yarn. These goods are handwoven on a loom using only cotton yarn.
- Barabanki Handloom Product: In Barabanki and the surrounding areas, there are 20,000 looms and about 50,000 weavers who work on the Barabanki Handloom Product. It is a representation of the local handloom weaving culture.
- Kalpi Handmade Paper: The history of Kalpi Handmade Paper begins in the 1940s with the introduction of the skill by Gandhian Munnalal “Khaddari.” Locals assert that Kalpi’s connection to papermaking dates back deeper in time. More than 5,000 artisans and about 200 businesses are involved in the handmade paper industry in Kalpi.
