Bengal’s Chau mask acquires GI fame

Bengal’s Chau mask acquires GI fame

News:

1. Geographical Indication Registry and Intellectual Property India has granted Geographical indication to five rural crafts of west Bengal

Important Facts

2. Five rural crafts are

• The Chau mask of Purulia,
• the wooden mask of Kushmandi,
• the Patachitra,
• the Dokras of Bengal, and
• Madhurkathi (a kind of mat)

3. Benefits

• help the artisans create their own brand
• provide legal protection to artisans practising the crafts against duplication in other regions.
• Improve job opportunities.

4. About GI

• GI tags are given on the basis of the Geographical Indications of Goods (Registration and Protection) Act, 1999.
• GI tag secures the quality and authenticity of a the product to a particular geographical origin
• It provides legal protection from duplication
•  The first product to get GI tag was Darjeeling Tea.
• In the year 2017-18, 25 GI tags were awarded of which 9 were from West Bengal.