SKUAST-K organizes training on Intellectual Property Rights in Agriculture

Sher-e-Kashmir University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology (SKUAST), Kashmir organized 3 days online training program on intellectual property rights in agriculture.

According to a statement, the training was conducted by the university’s Faculty of Agriculture, Wadura campus, under World Bank-ICAR supported National Agricultural Higher Education Project (NAHEP) for the institutional development of SKUAST-K in order to mark the World Intellectual Property Day 2021 from 26-28April.

The training was aimed at making the students and faculty aware about various aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, World Trade Organization (WTO) trade-related aspects of Intellectual Property Rights, National Intellectual Property Rights policy, filing of patents, protection of plant varieties, and Farmer's Right Act. Etc

The online workshop was inaugurated by Prof Azmat Alam Khan, Associate Director Research SKUAST-K. The event starts with the lecture by organizing secretary Prof. Raihana Habib Kanth, Chief Scientist, and Nodal officer, NISF. She briefed about the history and the importance of the IP day, various Intellectual Property Rights and discussed the case studies of patents of Basmati, Neem, Turmeric, Saffron. She also informed me about the advantages of getting the GI tag to Kashmir saffron. Dr. Khurshid A Bhat, Assistant professor FoA, Wadura, gave a detailed presentation about the procedure of filing patents. On the second day of the workshop, Prof Zahoor Ahmed Dar talked about the relevance of the PPVFR Act in today's agriculture and how the Act provides for the establishment of an effective system for the protection of plant varieties, the rights of farmers, and plant breeders and the development of new types of plants. He further highlighted the necessity to recognize and protect the farmers' rights in respect of their contribution to plant genetic resource conservation.

Khalid Z Masoodi addressed the third day of the workshop on "Discoveries and Innovations at SKUAST-K: Turning student research into IPR." The chief guest, Prof. Nazir A Ganie, Director Planning & Monitoring, PI NAHEP SKUAST K, in his valedictory address, talked about the importance of Geographical Indication in context to the richness of resources in Jammu and Kashmir and conservation of biodiversity. He also emphasized the mapping of resources & niche crops to identify unique and essential crop communities. Prof Ganie also stressed developing the IPR policy for SKUAST-K and working towards developing a database of farmers' varieties to be registered with PPVFR, Authority.

The workshop was registered by more than 300 participants from different States/UT's of India. The participants included:

• Teaching and scientific fraternity across the country.

• Research scholars.

• Scientists.

• Program coordinators of various KVKs.