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Pakistan has received the Geographical Indicator (GI) tag for its Basmati, paving the way for creating a local registry for the particular strain of rice and making a case in the international market.

Details

• Pakistan has registered Basmati Rice as a Geographical Indication (GI) under the Geographical Indications Act 2020.
• Under this Act, a GI registry has been formed which will register GIs and maintain the basic record of proprietors & authorised users of GI.

Significance

• This will provide protection of products against misuse or imitation & hence will guarantee that their share in the international market is protected.
  
• It is believed that a GI tag would strengthen Pakistan's case in the EU..

India's case against it

• The issue of protecting Basmati rice as a product of Pakistan came to the forefront after India submitted an application to the European Union claiming sole ownership of the commodity in September last year.
• In its application, India claimed that ''Basmati'' is special long grain aromatic rice grown and produced in a particular geographical region of the subcontinent.
• After highlighting the brief history of Basmati rice, India also claimed that the region is a part of northern India, below the foothills of the Himalayas forming part of the Indo-Gangetic plain.
• The Indian claim to the EU was challenged in December and the main argument by Pakistan was that Basmati rice was a joint product of India and Pakistan.

Source: The Hindu