Reg. Judgement of PPVFR Authority in PepsiCo’s Potato Variety Revocation Case

4:18 pm in News by Kavitha

Hindi version of the text of the letter given below in english is available HERE.

———- Forwarded message ———
From: Jatan Trust <jatantrust@gmail.com>
Date: Tue, 4 Jan 2022 at 16:12
Subject: Reg. Judgement of PPVFR Authority in PepsiCo’s Potato Variety Revocation Case
To: <chairperson-ppvfra@nic.in>
Cc: <secy-agri@nic.in>, <nstomaroffice@gmail.com>, <ns.tomar@sansad.nic.in>, <mukesh.kumar2005@ias.nic.in>, Shalini Bhutani <emailsbhutani@gmail.com>, suman sahai <suman@genecampaign.org>, Kavitha Kuruganti <kavitakuruganti@gmail.com>, Kisan Swaraj <asha.kisanswaraj@gmail.com>, <ag.comm@nic.in>, Prof. Swapan Kumar Datta <ddgcs.icar@nic.in>, <jsseeds-agri@nic.in>, <bns.murthy@gov.in>, <director.nbpgr@icar.gov.in>, <kuldeep.singh4@icar.gov.in>, <aslam@dbt.nic.in>, <sujata@nic.in>, Raj Kumar(GoG-Agriculture Dept.) <secagri@gujarat.gov.in>

To:

Dr K V Prabhu,

Chairperson,

PPV&FR Authority,

Government of India.

 

Dear Dr Prabhu,

Greetings! This is to thank you for your judgement in the Revocation Application case with regard to FL-2027 potato variety, and acknowledge the positive ramifications of such a judgement. This certainly holds good lessons for the future, for both the applicants of Plant Variety Certificates (PVCs) and the Registry personnel. While highlighting administrative lapses in the Registry and the Authority, the case and the judgement also highlight the lack of post-registration monitoring in the country.

This letter is also to place on record that the judgement in this case missed to make some strong points in the context of Public Interest. These were not listed either under “Facts”, or “Issues” sections of the judgement, unfortunately. It is surprising to note that these issues were listed as “germane” to the issue on hand, but that Public Interest was not made as the basis for revocation of PepsiCo India Holding’s PVC on FL-2027.

  1. As you are kindly aware, India’s unique sui generis legislation in itself is a piece of legislation based on Public Interest as the predominant legal tenet. It has several clauses that uphold public interest in terms of debarring certain varieties for PVP and those that protect public interest in the pre-grant phase. However, this is the first time that the post-grant public interest provision has been put to test and the judgement of the Authority does not define in unambiguous terms what this public interest is about, especially vis-a-vis protection of farmers’ rights, nor does it unambiguously delimit the rights of an applicant under Sec.28 of the PPV&FR Act.

  1. The proceedings of a Revocation Application that invoked “Public Interest” as one of the grounds, being stretched over 30 long months is surprising, especially given that the PVC validity itself was getting exhausted during this time period. While we realise that the COVID-19 pandemic might have affected the pace in this case, we hope that the Authority will look at faster time-bound revocation proceedings in future.

  1. We are aware that the 18th meeting of the Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers’ Rights Authority delegated powers to the Chairperson or any Officer nominated by him/her in judicial procedures/revocation applications in May 2013. However, on important matters of Revocation Applications, it does not seem robust that one person will represent the Authority in taking a final decision on such matters. We urge that the full Authority and the Government of India re-look at this matter.

Be that as it may, we believe that post-judgement, the Authority should now take up the following urgently:

1. Re-visit all the registrations given so far, to check if the Registry has applied due diligence with regard to PVCs registered so far in terms of eligibility of applicant, availability of all required information and documents as well as whether correct and consistent information with regard to first date of sale and other such matters has been provided by applicants while applying.

2. All existing PVC holders should get an explicit communication, an advisory or direction from the Authority that their certificate is subject to Sec. 39 related to farmers’ rights.

3. All future certificates should explicitly make the certificate conditional to upholding of Sec.39, particularly 39(1)(iv).

Sincerely,

Kapil Shah, Bipin Patel (Sued Farmer), Shalini Bhutani, Dr Suman Sahai and Kavitha Kuruganti


Copy to: PPV&FR Authority members; Secretary, MoA&FW; Hon’ble Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Govt of India

This letter has been endorsed by the following:

1.     Abhilash CA, Gram Seva Sangh

2.     Ajay Etikala, Organic Farming Activist, Delhi

3.     Aju Mukhopadhyay, Poet, Author, Critic, Environmentalist

4.     Akash Badave, Bhoomgadi Organic FPC, Chhattisgarh

5.     Aksay Vaghasiya, Agriculture Student

6.     Anand Karandikar, Director, Vicharvedh, A Not-For-Profit Organisation

7.     Anand Mazagaonkar, President, Gujarat Sarvodaya Mandal, Ahmedabad

8.     Anand Patwardhan, Filmmaker

9.     Ananthoo, Safe Food Alliance

10.  Anil Chamadia, Journalist – Writer

11.  Anshuman Das, Food Activist, Kolkata, West Bengal

12.  Antara Ray, Agroecologist and School Principal

13.  Aparna Krishnan, Palaguttapalli Dalitwada, Chittoor District, Andhra Pradesh

14.  Aruna Rodrigues – Lead Petitioner, SC PIL For A Moratorium On GMOs, Sunray Harvesters, Madhya Pradesh

15.  Arup Kumar Sen, Independent Analyst

16.  Ashlesha Khadse, Researcher, Goa

17.  B Siddarthan, Director, Counian Centre For Development, Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu

18.  Balaji Shankar, Tharchaarbu Iyakkam

19.  Balu Lal and Lal Singh, Mazdoor Kisan Shakti Sangathan (MKSS), Rajasthan

20.  Bharatiya Kisan Union (BKU-Tikait)

21.  Bhavani R V, Consultant, FAO

22.  Bindu Mohanty, Research Coordinator, RRA Network

23.  Chakradhar, Samalochana, Andhra Pradesh

24.  Chandra Shekhar Samantaray, Small Farmer

25.  Chhabilbhai Patel, Sued Farmer, Badol Kampa, Dist: Sabarkantha

26.  Chennaiah Poguri, APVVU (Andhra Pradesh Agricultural Workers Union)

27.  Dayabhai Gajera, Chairman, Guajaratpradesh Kisan Sabha, Gujarat

28.  Deepak Sharma, facilitating nutrition-focused agriculture systems with indigenous communities in the tribal junction of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Gujarat

29.  Devi Lakshmikutty, Bio Basics, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu

30.  Dhamodaran, Vizhuthgal

31.  Dhruba Das Gupta, Conservation Worker and Community Expert

32.  Dr A R Vasavi, Secretary, Punarchith, Karnataka

33.  Dr A. R. Pathak, Former Chairperson, Committee on Extant Variety, PPV&FR Authority, New Delhi; Former Vice Chancellor, Navsari Agriculture University; Former Vice Chancellor, Junagadh Agriculture University; Former Director of Research, Anand Agriculture University; Former Research Scientist (Rice).

34.  Dr A.M. Shekh, Former VC, Anand Agricultural University, Anand

35.  Dr Amit Bhaduri, Economist

36.  Dr Anamik Shah, Former VC, Gujarat Vidhyapeeth, Ahmedabad

37.  Dr Anant Phadke, Member, Lok Vignyaan Sanghatana

38.  Dr Anil Sadgopal, Former Professor & Dean, Faculty of Education, University Of Delhi; All India Forum For Right To Education; Former Fellow, Molecular Biology Unit, Tata Institute Of Fundamental Research, Government Of India

39.  Dr Ashok Bang, Chetna Vikas, Wardha, Maharashtra

40.  Dr Ashok Kundapur, Environment and Energy Pro Activist

41.  Dr B N Reddy, Retd HOD, Department of Botany, Osmania University; Former President, Jana Vignana Vedika

42.  Dr D.N.Reddy, Retired Professor Of Economics, University Of Hyderabad, Hyderabad

43.  Dr Debal Deb, Centre For Interdisciplinary Studies

44.  Dr Dinesh Abrol, Convener, National Working Group on Patent Laws And WTO

45.  Dr Felix Padel, Anthropologist

46.  Dr Frederic Landy, Professor of Geography

47.  Dr Gopal Krishna, Advocate, Patna High Court

48.  Dr Goutam Saha, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies

49.  Dr Govind Kelkar, Researcher on Women Farmers’ Rights

50.  Dr Hemant Shah, Economist and Former Principal, H.K. Arts College, Ahmedabad

51.  Dr K. G. Mehta, Former President, Gujarat Association of Agricultural Sciences (GAAS), Ahmedabad; Former Research Scientist (Rice)

52.  Dr Madhulika Banerjee, Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi, Delhi.

53.  Dr Minoo Parabiya, Former Professor and Head, Department of Biosciences, Veer Narmad South Gujarat University, Surat

54.  Dr Mita Dutta, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies

55.  Dr N. P. Patel, President, Gujarat State Seed Producers Association, Ahmedabad.

56.  Dr Nandita Shah, Sharan Auroville, Auroville, Tamil Nadu

57.  Dr P. P. Zaveri, Plant Breeder, MD, Farm Tech Biogene Pvt. Ltd. Ahemdabad

58.  Dr Pankaj Shah, Managing Trustee, SEWA Rural

59.  Dr Prof Arif Waqif, Phd (Economics), UC-Berkeley; Prof & Founder Dean (Rtd), School of Management Studies, University of Hyderabad

60.  Dr Pushpa Singh, Associate Professor, Department of Political Science, University of Delhi

61.  Dr R. A. Khimani, VC, Gujarat Vidyapeeth, Ahmedabad

62.  Dr R. A. Sherasiya, Former Director of Agriculture, Govt of Gujarat

63.  Dr Ramesh Arora, Independent Consultant on IPM & SA, Senior Entomologist

64.  Dr Sagari R Ramdas, Veterinary Scientist, Food Sovereignty Alliance, India

65.  Dr Seema Purushothaman, Professor and Researcher

66.  Dr Soma KP, PhD, Gender Ecology and Development, Department of Humanities, IIT Bombay

67.  Dr Srijit Mishra, Economist

68.  Dr Sudarshan Iyengar, Former Vice Chancellor of Gujarat Vidyapith, Economist

69.  Dr Sujatha Byravan, Scientist

70.  Dr V Rukmini Rao, Executive Director, Gramya Resource Center for Women (Promoting Women Farmer Rights), Nalgonda District, Telangana

71.  Dr Vikram Patel, Chairperson, Muni Seva Ashram, Goraj

72.  Gautam Sonti, Documentary Filmmaker

73.  Girish G. Sohani, Principal Advisor and Trustee, Baif Development Research Foundation, Maharashtra

74.  Gopi Deva, OFM-Organic Farmers Market

75.  Hannan Mollah, General Secretary, All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS)

76.  Haribhai Patel, Sued Farmer, Medh Kampa, Dist: Sabarkantha

77.  Himani Mantri Grover, Permaculturist & Entrepreneur

 

78.  Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements (ICCFM)

79.  Jagadeesan, Federation of Tamil Nadu Rice Mill Owners Association

80.  Janchetna Sansthan, Rajasthan

81.  Jayesh Patel, Chairman, Gujarat Khedoot Samaj, Gujarat

82.  Jyoti Punwani, Journalist, Mumbai

83.  K. J. Joy, Society for Promoting Participative Ecosystem Management (SOPPECOM), Pune

84.  K. Nagarajan, Bangalore, Weekend Organic Farmer

85.  Karnataka Rajya Raitha Sangha and Hasiru Sene (Samuhika Nayakathva) /Karnataka State Farmers Association and Green Brigade (Collective Leadership)

86.  Karthik G, Chennai Climate Action Group

87.  Kedareswar Chaudhury, Darbar Sahitya Sansada, Khurda, Odisha

88.  Kiran Kumar Vissa, Rythu Swarajya Vedika, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh

89.  Krishna Prasad, Desi Seeds FPC, Karnataka

90.  Lawrence Surendra, Environmental Economist and former Member, Karnataka State Appellate Authority under the Air and Water Act

 

91.  Mohsin Raza, Msc.(Biochemistry), M.Phil., PhD (Life Sciences), Senior Research Fellow-SRF; DBT, NE Chemical Ecology, Rajiv Gandhi University, Arunachal Pradesh

92.  Mona Mishra, Senior Consultant, United Nations

93.  Nachiket Udupa, Farmers’ Rights Activist, Rajasthan

94.  Nikita Naidu, Climate Action Consultant

95.  Nirmal Prabhu Benjhamin, Actor, Writer, Speaker, Yoga Instructor, Coach

96.  P Mahesh Kumar and S Sai Manisha, Managing Partners, Bhagavathi Mahima Agro Tech

97.  Pallav Das, Kalpavriksh Environmental Action Group

98.  Pamayan, Thaalanmai Uzhavar Iyakam

99.  Ponnuthai Sappani, President, Kalanjium Women Farmer’s Association, Tamil Nadu.

100.  Prahalad Rangan (Staff Member, SUNY – University at Buffalo)

101.                 Prasad Chakraborty, Member of FIAM (An Organic Movement Team)

102.                 Prem, Go Organic Life

103.                 Prof. Tathagata Banerjee, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies

104.                 Pushpa Achanta, Writer

105.                 Radhika Rammohan, Restore

106.                 Rahul Kumar, Project Research Fellow, Forest Research Centre for Eco-Rehabilitation, Prayagraj, Uttar Pradesh

 

107.                 Raja Sankar & Team Purva, Sriram Foods

108.                 Rajani Rao Santosh – Living Earth Foundation (LEAF), Bangalore

109.                 Rajesh Krishnan, Tirunelly Agri Producer Company, Wayanad, Kerala

110.                 Raman, Tula India

111.                 Ramya Bala, Geochemist

112.                 Rashmi Mahajan, PhD Student, ATREE, Bangalore

113.                 Rodney Shakespeare, Binary Economist

114.                 Rohit Prajapati, Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti

115.                 S M Muneer Ali, From Hyderabad, Telangana, A Farmer

116.                 S R Hiremath, President, National Committee for Protection of Natural Resources (NCPNR), Dharwad, Karnataka

 

117.                 Samar Bagchi, NAPM, West Bengal

118.                 Sangeetha, Restore Gardens

119.                 Selvam Ramasamy, Tamil Nadu Organic Farmers’ Federation

120.                 Shahidul Islam Chowdhury, Journalist

121.                 Sheelu Francis, President, Women’s Collective, Tamil Nadu

122.                 Sivakumar, Nalla Sandhai

123.                 Somdatta Roy, Co-Founder, Unnayan Foundation, West Bengal

124.                 South Indian Coordination Committee of Farmers Movements (SICCFM)

125.                 Sridhar Radhakrishnan, Environmental and Farmers’ Rights Activist, Kerala

126.                 Suhas Paranjape, Trustee, Shankar Brahme Samajvidnyan Granthalaya

127.                 Suma Josson, Filmmaker

128.                 Suresh Kumar, Consultant, Environment, SMMU, JOHAR & JSLPS, Jharkhand

129.                 Suresh Patel, Teacher, Universal Human Values, Gandhinagar

130.                 Sushila Aravind, Concerned Citizen

131.                 Swati Desai, Editor, Bhoomiputra, a Sarvodaya Fortnightly, Vadodara

132.                 Tamizhaga Vivasayigal Sangham (Sellamuthu) / Tamil Nadu Farmers Association (Sellamuthu)

 

133.                 Ujjwal Utkarsh, PhD-In-Practice Candidate, Academy of Fine Arts, Vienna

134.                 Uma R Maheswari, We-Mana

135.                 Umendra Dutt, Kheti Virasat Mission, Punjab

136.                 Usha Soolapani, Save Our Rice Campaign

137.                 Vaishali Gadgil, Founder- Shashwat Organics

138.                 Vasant Futane, Beejotsav Group, Vidarbha Region, Maharashta

139.                 Vijay laxmi Pandey, Professor, IGIDR, Mumbai

140.                 Vinay-Charul, Sandarbha Initiatives, Ahmedabad

141.                 Vinodbhai Patel, Sued Farmer, Badol Kampa, Dist: Sabarkantha

142.                 Viren Lobo, Akhil Bharatiya Mazdoor Kisan Sangharsh Samiti

143.                 Vitthalbhai Doodhatra, Farm Leader, Bharatiya Kisan Sangh (Gujaratpradesh), Gandhinagar

 

–

KAPIL SHAHJatan: A Mission for Organic Farming,
Vinoba Ashram, Gotri, Vadodara: 390 021
Gujrat, India
Phone: +91(0)265-2371429
Fax: +91(0)265-2371880
Email: jatantrust@gmail.com

 

No Comments »