Renewed Push to Include Madhya Pradesh in the Geographical Indication for Basmati Rice

Efforts to include Madhya Pradesh in the Geographical Indication (GI) area for Basmati rice have gained fresh momentum. With former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan now serving as the Union Agriculture Minister, these initiatives have been revitalised. Approximately six months ago, Chauhan instructed the Indian Agricultural Research Institute (IARI) to provide its opinion on the matter at the request of the Madhya Pradesh government. Following this, the Agriculture Ministry has convened two meetings on the issue, despite Madhya Pradesh's earlier failures to secure recognition through the Intellectual Property Appellate Board (IPAB) and the Madras High Court.

Notably, during former Agriculture Minister Narendra Singh Tomar’s tenure, similar efforts were made to include Madhya Pradesh in the Basmati-producing region, but they did not succeed. In the current government, Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chauhan has reignited this agenda and referred the matter to IARI through the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR).

India's Objections to Pakistan’s GI Application
Interestingly, while the inclusion of Madhya Pradesh remains under debate, India has strongly opposed Pakistan’s application for GI status for Basmati rice in the European Union (EU). India has reaffirmed its stance that only seven states- Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, western Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, and Delhi- are recognized as Basmati-producing regions under its GI framework.

A senior ICAR scientist remarked that India’s robust objections to Pakistan's application make it nearly impossible to justify the addition of new regions, such as Madhya Pradesh, to India’s Basmati-producing areas. Any such move could weaken India’s argument against Pakistan on the international stage.

India-Pakistan Basmati Dispute
The dispute over Basmati rice between India and Pakistan has persisted for years. In 2022, Pakistan applied for a GI tag for Basmati in the EU, claiming cultivation in 44 districts, including areas like Balochistan, where even ordinary rice is difficult to grow. Pakistan’s claim also controversially included four districts in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).

This conflict dates back to 2008 when India and Pakistan agreed in a joint meeting to recognize specific regions as Basmati-producing areas- 14 districts in Pakistan and seven states in India. Both countries intended to apply jointly for a GI tag, but deteriorating diplomatic relations derailed the plan.

In 2018, India independently applied for a GI tag in the EU, but the process stalled. When Pakistan applied in 2022, the EU fast-tracked its application. Pakistan's new GI laws, enacted in 2022, expanded its claimed Basmati-producing districts from 14 to 44, including PoK.

Pakistan’s GI application lacked a public notification process, limiting India’s awareness. However, when the application entered the EU’s public objection phase, India was able to challenge Pakistan’s claims.

Legal Challenges for Madhya Pradesh’s Inclusion
Efforts to include Madhya Pradesh in India’s Basmati region have faced significant legal hurdles. A senior scientist told Rural Voice that India's opposition to Pakistan’s application emphasizes the traditional regions where Basmati is historically cultivated. Including Madhya Pradesh now would undermine India’s international position and lacks a strong basis under GI principles.

The Madhya Pradesh government previously pursued the matter through IPAB but faced opposition from the Government of India and Pakistan, resulting in an unfavorable ruling. Subsequent appeals to the Madras High Court were also unsuccessful. The case eventually reached the Supreme Court, where arguments highlighted that states like Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand are entirely designated as Basmati-producing regions, despite not all areas cultivating Basmati. The Supreme Court referred the matter back to the Madras High Court, where it is currently under review.