INDIA: Lucknowi Chikankari to be registered under GI Act LUCKNOW: The city based social-sector organisation, Network of Entrepreneurship and Economic Development (NEED) has organised an action workshop to educate the lay public about getting Lucknowi Chikankari registered under the law through the Geographical Indication Act (GI Act), Anil Singh, CEO, NEED said here on August 10.
Anil Singh further believes that registration, apart from giving a unique identity can also cut out the middleman who earns tremendous profits on the value addition of chikan, as it moves from producer to buyer. The workshop was attended by chikan artisans, members of other NGOs, producer groups and members of central and state government organisations apart form general public. The CEO informed that inaugural session was devoted to an introduction of GI act, which is a law to protect intellectual property rights of the country in traditional knowledge, food, clothing, handicrafts and other such arts that pertain to a geographic location. GI Act is designations, expressions which aim at indicating that a product originates from a country and it differs from Trademark in the sense that the former emphasises a producer’s right while GI emphasises a region. Govindan Nair, principal secretary, SSI who was chief guest at the workshop talk of the importance of traditional crafts and the need to upgrade skill sets and technology of the artisans. It was also pointed out that Nlgiri Tea, Kanchipuram and Mysore Silk, Darjeeling Tea and Goa Feni have already been or will be granted recognition under GI Act. Anil Singh further pointed out that everyone who is interested in the welfare of Chikan should come together to make this possible. The workshop was part of the joint collaboration between the Department for International Development, UK (DFID), United Nations Conference on Trade and Development, India (UNCTAD) and Ministry of Textiles, GoI under its ‘Strategies and Preparedness for Trade and Globalisation in India’ programme. _______________________________________________ Goanet mailing list [email protected] http://lists.goanet.org/listinfo.cgi/goanet-goanet.org
