Syllabus: GS1/Culture, GS3/Economy
Context Source: IE
- Seven products from Odisha, have bagged the Geographical Indication (GI) tag.
Kapdaganda shawl
- The shawl is woven and embroidered by the women of the Dongria Kondh tribe.
- It is embroidered on an off-white coarse cloth with red, yellow and green coloured threads, with each color holding significance.
- The motifs in the shawls are mostly lines and triangles, believed to be a reflection of the importance of mountains for the community.
Lanjia Saura Painting
- The painting is also known as Idital and belongs to the Lanjia Saura community.
- The paintings feature subjects like tribal humans, trees, animals, birds, the Sun and the Moon. These are White paintings over a crimson-maroon background.
Similipal Kai chutney
- The chutney is made with red weaver ants, found in the forests of Mayurbhanj, including in the Similipal forests – Asia’s second-largest biosphere.
- It is rich in medicinal and nutritional value, the chutney is believed to be a good source of nutrients like protein, calcium, zinc, vitamin B-12, iron, magnesium, potassium, etc.
Koraput Kala Jeera Rice
- It is also known as the ‘Prince of Rice’, famous for its aroma, taste, texture and nutritional value.
- Consumption of the rice variety helps in increasing hemoglobin levels and improves metabolism in the body.
Nayagarh Kanteimundi Brinjal
- It is known for its prickly thorns on the stems and the whole plant.
- The green and round fruits contain more seeds as compared to other genotypes.
- The plants are resistant to major insects and can be grown with minimal pesticide.
Dhenkanal Magji
- It is a type of sweet made from cheese from buffalo milk, by draining moisture from the cheese and then frying it, finally forming balls from the mixture.
- Mandar-Sadangi area of Gondia block is believed to be the center of origin of the sweet stuff.
Khajuri Guda
- It is a dark brown jaggery extracted from date palm trees and has its origin in the Gajapati district.
- Traditionally, the jaggery is prepared in a trapezoidal form called ‘Patali Gur’ and is organic by nature.
What is Geographical Indication (GI)?
- A geographical indication (GI) is a sign used on products that have a specific geographical origin and possess qualities or a reputation that are due to that origin.
- In order to function as a GI, a sign must identify a product as originating in a given place.
- Geographical indications are typically used for agricultural products, foodstuffs, wine and spirit drinks, handicrafts, and industrial products.
Governing laws
- Under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property, geographical indications are covered as an element of Intellectual property rights (IPRs).
- They are covered under the Trade Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement, which was part of the Agreements concluding the Uruguay Round of GATT negotiations.
- Geographical indication is also defined in the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications.
GI Tags and India
- The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999 seeks to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
- The Act is administered by the Controller General of Patents, Designs and TradeMarks- who is the Registrar of Geographical Indications.
- The registration of a geographical indication is valid for a period of 10 years.