UPSC Prelims 2017 · Question 59 of 99
UPSC Prelims 2017 question on National Ipr Policy
- ExamUPSC CSE
- Year2017
- PaperGeneral Studies Paper I
- SubjectIndian Economy
- TopicImportant Economic Concepts
- DifficultyMedium
- TypeStatement
With reference to the ‘National Intellectual Property Rights Policy’, consider the following statements:
1. It reiterates India’s commitment to the Doha Development Agenda and the TRIPS Agreement.
2. Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion is the nodal agency for regulating intellectual property rights in India.
Which of the above statements is/are correct?
Show answer
Answer: C. Both 1 and 2
Verdict
The answer is both 1 and 2. The National Intellectual Property Rights Policy reiterates India's commitment to Doha and TRIPS, and the Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion is the nodal agency.
Analysis
Statement 1 is CORRECT. The policy, approved by the Union Cabinet in 2016, expressly reaffirms India's commitment to the Doha Development Agenda and the TRIPS Agreement, including the flexibilities available under them for public health. Statement 2 is CORRECT. The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion, under the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, was designated the nodal agency for coordinating and implementing intellectual property policy and administration.
Source
Press Information Bureau release on the policy.
How to crack it
For any national policy document, two facts are reliably tested, the nodal ministry and the international commitments it reaffirms. Intellectual property in India sits with Commerce and Industry rather than with Law, because it is treated as an industrial and trade subject, and that placement is itself a favourite question. Note that the Doha reaffirmation matters because it preserves compulsory licensing, which is the substantive point behind the diplomatic language.