Context: Recently, the All India Rice Exporters’ Association (AIREA) has appealed to the government to preserve and protect the integrity of Basmati rice, following Madhya Pradesh (MP) government’s pressure on the central government for seeking Geographical Indication (GI) tag for Basmati produced in 13 districts of MP.

• AIREA argues that if MP is included in the GI list of Basmati crop then it will harm the reputation of Indian Basmati as well as the national interest.

About Geographical Indication Tag

• According to the Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA), it is given to an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product, originating from a specific geographical area due to which it possesses unique characteristics and qualities.
• GI tag is kind of a trademark in the international market and an assurance that the product is coming from that specific area.

What is the present GI status of Basmati?

• In May 2010, APEDA got GI certification for Basmati.
• [APEDA - Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority; a statutory body under the Commerce Ministry]
• The above GI applied for the region located in Indo-Gangetic Plains (IGP) below the foothills of the Himalayas, spreads across 7 states.
• These are Himachal Pradesh, J&K, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, Western UP (26 districts) and Delhi.
• According to APEDA, Basmati rice is identified as a ‘long grain, aromatic rice.’
• The origin and reputation for this from the IGP is found in tradition, folklore, scientific and culinary literature and political and historical records.
• Dehraduni Basmati, Amritsar Basmati and Tarawari basmati are being produced for hundreds of years.
• [For cultivation of basmati paddy, alluvial soil having high water retention capacity is more suitable.]

What are MP's claims and demands?

• Madhya Pradesh (MP) falls in the Madhya Bharat Pathar (plateau).
• It does not fall in the IGP (Indo-Gangetic Plains) region.
• MP started cultivation of varieties of Basmati rice only around the middle of the first decade of this century (21st C).
• But it claims that this rice possesses the same characteristics and qualities as that of the rice grown in the IGP.
• It also claims that nearly 80,000 farmers of the state are growing Basmati in 13 districts.
• They are exporting the same worth Rs 3,000 crore annually.
• With these, MP government seeks GI tag for its Basmati rice.

What are MP government's efforts at this end?

• Apart from putting pressure on the Centre, MP has appealed in Madras High Court. But its plea was rejected in February 2020.
• Earlier too in 2016, Intellectual Properties Appellate Board (IPBA) in Chennai had given the decision in favour of the APEDA.
• [APEDA is not in favour of including MP in the GI list.]
• Despite these orders, MP has been repeatedly agitating and trying its best through political and bureaucratic channels.
• Even many traders from MP are selling the rice from MP using the IGP imagery on their packages.
• This is despite the fact that MP is located far away down south of the IGP.

Why can MP not be rightfully offered the GI tag?

• Under WTO’s TRIPs (trade-related aspects of intellectual property rights) agreement, physical attributes are not enough for a product to earn GI tag.
• The reputation linked to the geographical region is also essential and imperative.
• As per GI of Goods (Registration & Protection) Act in 2003 too, ‘reputation’ to a geographical area is central to the GI recognition.
• In the case of Basmati rice, only the above-mentioned 7 states have that reputation.
• Even if the rice grown in MP has all the required characteristics, it would not still entitle such rice to qualify as Basmati.
• This is much like the fact that sparkling wine produced in Australia or California or Italy cannot be called Champagne (-France).
• Likewise, Kancheepuram Silk Sari is a GI product, but a Banarasi sari cannot claim a share of the status though it might be as beautiful as the Kancheepuram Sari.
• The same goes with Basmati; any rice which is grown outside the designated area cannot be called Basmati.

Why AIREA opposed MP's demand?

• India stands tall in the global arena as the only producer of premium Basmati.
• No other country (other than 18 districts of Pakistan) can call any of its rice as ‘Basmati’.
• It had been a tough battle for the country to protect Basmati name from the encroachment of various nations.
• Notably, many countries came out with their own versions of Basmati.
• It is only the GI tag that has protected India's Basmati.
• This is because it has been grown from time immemorial in the IGP area of India and 18 districts of Pakistan’s Punjab.
• This indisputable fact alone has enabled India to win the various cases.
• Notably, APEDA has taken up over a 1,000 legal actions in nearly 50 countries, spread across all the continents.
• It has spent over Rs 200/300 crores in promoting Basmati rice, defending its GI status and shaping it into a global brand.
• Given this, if MP is included in the GI list of Basmati crop, it would harm the reputation of Indian Basmati as a whole.
• It would also affect the national interest.

Possible implications if MP is offered its demand

• Any such inclusion will nullify APEDA’s efforts made earlier to secure and protect Indian Basmati since 1995.
• All those 50 and more nations had been unequivocally restricted from calling any of their aromatic rice’s with even “Basmati-like” names.
• If MP is included, all of them will grab the opportunity to start sowing Basmati.
• Pakistan and China will also be equally benefitted.
• If Basmati loses its premium tag it will deprive over 20 lakh farmers of the 7 states from the economic premium of growing this unique product.
• The decision thus involves preserving and protecting the integrity of one of the most cherished national produce of India.