General Studies- II
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
Khadi Mark Regulations
Context
Khadi fights back to prevent misuse of its Trademarks Internationally.
About
- In the recent days, Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) has taken various initiatives for protection and promotion of Khadi as a brand in India and internationally.
- KVIC are the registered proprietors of over a hundred trademarks registrations including the symbol of ‘Charkha’ in India and other countries like Russia, China, Germany, Australia, UK and Bhutan.
What is the Issue?
- KVIC is one of those unique institutions in India that links the nation’s past, present and future on its functional plane, through – self-reliance and sustainability.
- Ever since the pre-independent era, Khadi has been considered as the national symbol for Swadeshi.
- The word marks “KHADI”, “KUTIR”, “SARVODAYA” and the logo of Khadi India and Charkha are the harbinger of this spirit of Swadeshi, hence, must be protected at all cost.
- These trademark and symbols, however have been misused time and again by private players for material benefits.
Initiative taken by KVIC
- KVIC is seeking International Trademark protection of symbol of ‘Charkha’ under the article 6ter of the Paris Convention.
- In an initiative to prevent such misuse any further, for the first time KVIC has taken up the matter With:
- The Ministry of External Affairs, and
- Ministry of Commerce and Permanent Mission of India at UN, Geneva.
- KVIC is fighting cases in several countries for violation of the Khadi Mark Regulations.
- The regulations issued in 2013 by the Ministry of MSME, empowered KVIC to grant ‘Khadi Mark’ registration and take royalties from any producer using the Khadi Mark.
Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC)
- The Khadi and Village Industries Commission (KVIC) is a statutory body established by an Act of Parliament of 1956, as amended by act of 1987 and Act of 2006.
- In April 1957, it took over the work of former All India Khadi and Village Industries Board.
Objectives
The broad objectives that the KVIC has set before it are:
- The social objectiveof providing employment.
- The economic objectiveof producing saleable articles.
- The wider objectiveof creating self-reliance amongst the poor and building up of a strong rural community spirit.
Functions
- It is an apex organization under the Ministry of Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises, with regard to khadi and village industries within India.
- It seeks to – plan, promote, facilitate, organise and assistin the establishment and development of khadi and village industriesin the rural areas in coordination with other agencies engaged in rural development wherever necessary.
Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property
- The Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property signed in Paris, France, on 20 March 1883.
- It applies to industrial property in the widest sense, including patents, trademarks, industrial designs, utility models, service marks, trade names, geographical indications and the repression of unfair competition.
- This international agreement was the first major step taken to help creators ensure that their intellectual works were protected in other countries.
- As of January 2019, the Convention has 177 contracting member countries, which makes it one of the most widely adopted treaties worldwide.
Article 6ter of the Paris Convention
- Article 6ter of the Paris Convention is for the protection of Industrial property of 1883 (1967 Stockholm Act).
- It protects armorial bearings, flags and other State emblems as well as official signs and hallmarks of the States party to the Paris Convention.
- The signs published with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) under this act are prevented from being registered or used as trademarks, across the world, without authorization.
What is Intellectual Property?
Intellectual property (IP) refers to creations of the mind, such as inventions; literary and artistic works; designs; and symbols, names and images used in commerce.
- IP is protected in law by, for example, patents, copyright and trademarks, which enable people to earn recognition or financial benefit from what they invent or create.
- By striking the right balance between the interests of innovators and the wider public interest, the IP system aims to foster an environment in which creativity and innovation can flourish.
World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO)
- The World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) is one of the 15 specialized agencies of the United Nations (UN).
- WIPO was created in 1967.
- It is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland.
- Its objective was “to encourage creative activity, to promote the protection of intellectual property throughout the world”.
- WIPO currently has 192 member states, administers 26 international treaties.
General Studies- II
Topic- Government policies and interventions for development in various sectors and issues arising out of their design and implementation.
National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR)
Context
The Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment has formulated and is implementing a National Policy to Tackle Drug Abuse.
About
The Government has formulated and is implementing a National Action Plan for Drug Demand Reduction (NAPDDR) for 2018-2025.
Aim
- The Plan aims at reduction of adverse consequences of drug abuse through a multi-pronged strategy.
- It will employ a multi-pronged strategy involving education, de-addiction and rehabilitation of affected individuals and their families to address the issue.
Key features of NAPDDR
- It will focus on preventive education, awareness generation, counselling, treatment and rehabilitation of drug-dependent people.
- Provide training and focus on capacity-building of service providers through the collaborative efforts of the Centre, state and NGOs.
- Coordination with implementing agencies for controlling the sale of sedatives, painkillers and muscle relaxant drugs.
- Holding awareness generation programmes and checking online sale of drugs by stringent monitoring by the cyber cell are proposed under the Action Plan.
- The Action Plan calls for persuading principals, directors, vice chancellors of educational institutions to ensure that no drugs are sold within/nearby the campus.
How will it work?
The activities under the NAPDDR, inter-alia, include:
- Awareness generation programmes in schools/colleges/Universities, workshops/seminars/ with parents.
- Community based peer led interactions intervention programmes for vulnerable adolescent and youth in the community.
- Provisioning of treatment facilities.
- Capacity building of service providers.
Why it is needed?
- Drug trafficking and abuse also pose serious threat to our societies.
- India is located between two largest Opium producing regions of the world.
- The most common drugs of abuse are ‘ganja’, ‘hashish’, ‘opium’ and ‘heroin’.
- The abuse of pharmaceutical preparations like ‘buprenorphine’, codeine based cough syrups and painkillers like ‘proxivon’ has also assumed serious proportions.
- In certain regions of the country, drug abuse has already become a severe social-economic problem affecting the vulnerable age groups.
- Estimates suggest that there are 40 lakh drug addicts in the country.
For Prelims
Integrated Check Post between India and Nepal
Highlights
- The Prime Minister of India along with Prime Minister of Nepal jointly inaugurated the second Integrated Check Post (ICP) at Jogbani (Bihar)-Biratnagar (Nepal).
- Jogbani-Biratnagar is equipped with modern facilities and is an important trade point between the two countries.
- It will improve cross connectivity projects of Road, Rail and Transmission lines in Nepal.
