Geographical Indications Act & WTO — UPSC Prelims PYQ 2018

India enacted The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 in order to comply with the obligations to

ILO
IMF
UNCTAD
WTO

Explanation

Option (d) is correct

Geographical Indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products corresponding to a specific geographical location or origin. It is a type of Intellectual Property Right (IPR). It is protected by the WTO’s Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) and the Geneva Act of the Lisbon Agreement on Appellations of Origin and Geographical Indications. Countries have their own frameworks for registering and protecting GI tags.
GI Tag in India: India, as a World Trade Organization (WTO) member, enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act,1999.
- It is a part of the IPR under the Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property.
- Darjeeling tea became the first GI-tagged product in India in 2004–2005

Diagram explaining three types of intellectual property rights (IPR): Patent, Trademark, and Geographical Indication. Each section includes a brief definition, relevant law, responsible ministry (DPIIT, Ministry of Commerce and Industry), and protection period, with color-coded icons and labels highlighting key details.