The historical Basohli painting of Jammu and wood carvings of Ladakh are among the nine products for which the National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has initiated a move for GI tagging.
In an initiative of identifying unique products of Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh UTs in consultation with various stakeholders including development departments, the NABARD has sanctioned a project for GI Registration of 9 products of both the UTs for further submission to Human Welfare Association, Varanasi.
Geographical Indications (GI) is a form of Intellectual Property right that identifies goods originating from a specific geographical location and having distinct nature, quality and characteristics linked to that location.
NABARD provides end-to-end support to facilitate pre-registration as well as post-registration activities for Geographical Indications. Realising the huge potential of handloom, handicrafts and agricultural products in the UTs of J&K and Ladakh.
The products which have obtained GI tagging included Basohli Paintings (Kathua), Basholi Pashmina Woolen Products (Kathua), Chikri Wood Craft (Rajouri), Bhaderwah Rajma (Doda), Mushkbudji Rice (Anantnag), Kaladi (Udhampur), Sulai Honey (Ramban), Anardana (Ramban), Ladakh Wood Carving (Ladakh).
The GI applications of all these products have been filed at GI registry, Chennai. The Consultative Group Meeting (CGM) of all these products has already been successfully held at Jammu University Campus and the products are in the final stage of grant of GI Tag.
GI tag grants legal protection to the original producers within the original geographical area with recognition, prevents unauthorized use of registered GI goods by third parties, boosts exports and promotes the brand at International level.
Only an authorized user has the exclusive right to use the Geographical Indication in relation to goods in respect of which it is registered. Due to this, no person can copy it from beyond the geographical area and it, therefore, prevents misuse of the original product.
NABARD is playing a much important role in the GI registration process and Post GI initiatives including marketing linkages, branding and promotion. It is the first recognized organization in the country, which has adopted a specific GI policy and schemes for GIs. All over India, NABARD has supported the filing of GI applications of 147 products, of which 24 have secured GI certification till date.