NEW DELHI: In a boost to Intellectual Property (IP) offices in the country, the Narendra Modi Government on Wednesday decided to continue with the `309.6-cr scheme to modernise and strengthen them during the 12th five year plan that will end in March 2017.
An amount of `258 crore will be spent till March 2017 and the rest will spill over to the 13th five year plan.
The decision in this regard was taken by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which was communicated by Minister for Law and Justice Ravi Shankar Prasad to reporters here.
“The implementation of the scheme will strengthen the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trademarks (CGPDTM) and address the increase in the number of IP applications,” a government release on the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs decision said.
It will also address growing international commitments due to the implementation of the Madrid Protocol and status of International Search Authority (ISA) and International Preliminary Examining Authority (IPEA). “In the 12th five year plan, the focus would be on enhancement of human resources, upgradation of IT and database, construction of buildings, improvement in library facilities and sensitisation and awareness creation on Intellectual Property Right matters,” it said.
In the 11th plan period, the scheme had some achievements. Under the scheme, the construction of a new complex for IP archives and TM registry at Ahmedabad and an International Search Authority and International Preliminary Examining Authority (ISA/IPEA) building at New Delhi were done during the period ending March 2012.
In the same period, the Centre also created state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology (ICT) infrastructure, such as data centres, high end servers, digitisation of Intellectual Property records, comprehensive e-filing facility for patents and trademarks, subscription to Patent and non-Patent database, filling up of new posts created under the plan, training of personnel and conduct of awareness programmes.