What is in news : The spices growers of Kanniyakumari have obtained the Geographical Indication Tag for the clove being grown in the hilly regions of the district as it is known for its rich aromatic oil content.

Details : Clove, one of the prominent spice crops of the district, is grown on 760 hectares in the densely wooded areas of Maaraamalai, Blackrock and Velimalai in the Western Ghats of the Veerapuli Reserve Forests and Mahendragiri. The district represents about 73% of the area under clove in Tamil Nadu.

MAHITI FOR PRELIMS

GI TAG

• A geographical indication (GI) is a name or sign used on certain products which corresponds to a specific geographical location or origin (e.g., a town, region, or country).
• India, as a member of the World Trade Organization (WTO), enacted the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 has come into force with effect from 15 September 2003.
• GIs have been defined under Article 22 (1) of the WTO Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS) Agreement as: “Indications which identify a good as originating in the territory of a member, or a region or a locality in that territory, where a given quality, reputation or characteristic of the good is essentially attributable to its geographic origin.”