Nicobari Hodi Craft

Topic- Government Policies and Interventions [GS Paper-2]

Context- Recently, the Andaman & Nicobar Islands has filed an application, for the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the Nicobari Hodi craft.

Key Highlights 

• The Geographical Indications Registry at Guindy, Chennai, has recently received an application from the Tribal Development Council, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, seeking the Geographical Indication (GI) tag for the Nicobari hodi craft. 
• This is the first application ever from the Union Territory seeking a tag for one of its products.

Nicobari Hodi

• The hodi is the Nicobari tribe’s traditional craft and it is an outrigger canoe, very commonly operated in the Nicobar group of islands.
• The technical skills for building a hodi are based on indigenous knowledge inherited by the Nicobarese from their ancestors.
• The hodi is built using either locally available trees or from nearby islands, and its design varies from island to island.
• Major considerations to be taken into account include the length of the finished canoe, which has to be 12 times that of its width, while the length of the undressed tree trunk has to be 15 times this width.
• Nicobari Hodis are used for transporting people and goods from one island to another, for sending coconuts, for fishing and racing purposes.
• The tuhet, a group of families under a headman, consider the hodi as an asset. 
• Also Hodi races are held between islands and villages

Geographical Indication (GI) Tag

• The Geographical Indication (GI) is an indication used to identify goods having special characteristics originating from a definite geographical territory.
• The Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999 requires to provide for the registration and better protection of geographical indications relating to goods in India.
• It is governed and directed by the World Trade Organization Agreement on Trade-Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights (TRIPS).
• It was also decided and stated under Articles 1 (2) and 10 of the Paris Convention that the protection of industrial Property and Geographical Indication are elements of Intellectual Property.
• GI tags are primarily assigned to an agricultural, natural or a manufactured product (handicrafts and industrial goods).
• This tag is basically valid for a period of 10 years following which it can be renewed.

Significance of GI Tag

• Once a product gets the GI tag, no person or company can sell a similar item under that name.
• GI registration of a product provides it legal protection and prevention against unauthorised use by other localities.
• GI tag also helps in promoting the exports of the product.
• It provides comfort to customers about the authenticity of that product.

The procedure of GI Registration

• There is a genuine process of registration of GI products which includes filing of application, preliminary scrutiny and examination, show cause notice, publication in the geographical indications journal, opposition to registration, and registration.
• Any association of persons, producers, organisation or authority established by or under the law can apply for the tag.
• However, the applicant must represent the interest of the producers.
• The Geographical Indications Registry responsible for administration of GI Goods is established at Chennai.
• Some famous goods which carry the GI tag include Basmati rice, Darjeeling Tea, Chanderi Fabric, Mysore Silk, Kullu Shawl, Kangra Tea, Thanjavur Paintings, Allahabad Surkha, Farrukhabad Prints, Lucknow Zardozi, Kashmir Saffron and Kashmir Walnut Wood Carving. 

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