Overview
Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan, participated in the ‘Plant Genome Saviour Awards Ceremony’ celebrating the Silver Jubilee of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FRA) Act, 2001, and the 21st Foundation Day of the PPV&FRA in New Delhi. The event recognized farmers' contributions to seed conservation and biodiversity.
Key Highlights
- Award Ceremony: Select farmer awardees from across the country were felicitated for their contributions to seed conservation.
- PPV&FRA Act: The Act has played a vital role in conserving disappearing seed varieties.
- Financial Incentives: The government provides financial incentives of up to ₹15 lakh to promote seed variety conservation.
- Amendments: New suggestions will be considered for future amendments to the PPV&FRA Act.
Key Developments
Awardees
The awardees included representatives from various states and organizations:
- Community Seed Bank of Telangana
- Shiksha Niketan of Purba Bardhaman, West Bengal
- Mithilanchal Makhana Producers’ Association
- CRS-Na Dihing Tenga Unyan Committee of Assam
- Shri Bhupendra Joshi of Uttarakhand
- Shri T. Joseph of Kerala
- Shri Lakshan Pramanik
- Shri Ananthamurthy J
- Shri Nakul Singh of Bihar
- Shri Narendra Singh of Uttarakhand
Ministerial Addresses
Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan emphasized the importance of preserving traditional seeds alongside promoting new varieties. He also highlighted the need to increase awareness of the PPV&FRA Act among farmers and simplify registration procedures.
Shri Bhagirath Choudhary, Minister of State, highlighted the role of the PPV&FRA in providing a strong institutional framework for conserving plant and seed varieties.
Shri Ramnath Thakur, Minister of State, stressed the importance of conserving seeds of traditional crops and promoting research on indigenous crop species.
PPV&FRA Act and Authority
Objectives
The Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) was established under the PPV&FRA Act, 2001, with the following objectives:
- Grant intellectual property rights to plant breeders.
- Recognize and reward farmers and communities who conserve traditional varieties.
- Promote farmers’ rights to save, use, sow, resow, exchange, share, and sell farm-saved seed.
- Encourage research and innovation in plant breeding.
- Maintain the National Register of Plant Varieties (NRPV).
Background
The PPV&FRA is a statutory body under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, headquartered in New Delhi. It plays a crucial role in safeguarding farmers’ traditional knowledge and ensuring equitable benefit sharing.
UPSC Relevance
GS Paper 3: Agriculture
This event and the PPV&FRA Act are relevant to the UPSC syllabus under GS Paper 3: Agriculture, specifically concerning:
- Agricultural policies and schemes
- Intellectual property rights related to agriculture
- Conservation of plant varieties and biodiversity
- Farmers' rights and welfare
GS Paper 2: Government Policies
The PPV&FRA Act also falls under GS Paper 2: Government Policies and Interventions for development in the agriculture sector.