Tarun Karthick
Campbell Bay, 20 April 2024
Professor Unnat P. Pandit, Controller General of Intellectual Property Rights & Registrar of Geographical Indication, and Dr. Rajani Kant, Padma Shri Awardee and Executive Director/General Secretary of the Human Welfare Association, visited the Andaman and Nicobar Islands for a Consultative Group Meeting on Intellectual Property Rights. During their visit, they called on Admiral DK Joshi, Hon’ble Lieutenant Governor of A&N Islands and Vice-Chairman of the Islands Development Agency, at Raj Niwas on April 29th, 2024.
Applications for Geographical Indication (GI) Registration for seven indigenous products originating from the Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been filed. These products include the Nicobari Hut, Nicobari Mat, Nicobari Hodi, Virgin Coconut Oil, Andaman Tall Coconut, Andaman & Nicobar Padauk Furniture, and Andaman Karen Musley Rice.
This marks the first time that the Andaman and Nicobar Administration has filed applications for GI Registration for these products, signifying a crucial step towards recognising and safeguarding the unique cultural and traditional heritage of the region. The initiative is being facilitated by the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) in Port Blair.
Geographical Indication Registration not only bestows legal protection to products originating from a specific geographical area but also enhances their market value by emphasising their uniqueness, quality, and traditional methods of production. If successfully registered, these seven products will join the prestigious list of GI-tagged products, further enriching the cultural landscape of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.