Ladakh’s wood carving gets GI Tag

Tags: State News

Exquisite Ladakh wood carvings, also known as 'Ladakh Shingskos', have been granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag by the Department for Promotion of Industry and Internal Trade (DPIIT).

An overview of the news

• This is the first time in the history of GI registration that Jammu region has got GI tag for handicrafts.

• Wood carving is a traditional art form in the handicraft sector and is part of the five major areas of knowledge in the traditional education system of Ladakh.

• The traditional knowledge system in Ladakh is classified into ten areas of knowledge.

• The craft of woodcarving is an integral part of the social and religious spheres of life.

• The process of GI tagging of nine products from the Jammu region was initiated by NABARD in December 2020 in consultation with the Department of Handicrafts and Handlooms.

• After a long legal process, finally these products have been given GI tag.

What is GI Tag?

• A Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign given to products coming from a specific geographical location.

• GIs certify that products have been made using traditional methods or have specific qualities due to their origin.

• GI is used for food, handicrafts and industrial products.

• GI tag ensures that only authorized users can use the name of the product.

Who grants and regulates Geographical Indications?

• Geographical Indications (GI) are a type of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR) recognized and protected under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.

• The World Trade Organization (WTO) Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) provides a framework for the protection of GIs at the international level.

• In India, the registration and protection of GI is governed by the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999, which came into effect in September 2003.

• The first product in India to receive the GI tag was Darjeeling tea, which was awarded the GI tag in the year 2004-05.