SEKAR REPORTER

Court News from Madras High Court

SHOULD “KOVILPATTI KADALAI MITTAI” MADE MANDATORY IN MGR NUTRITIOUS MEAL PROGRAMME & MIDDAY MEAL SCHEME BY STATE AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT? – AUTHOR: MUSKAN DOSAR

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SHOULD “KOVILPATTI KADALAI MITTAI” MADE MANDATORY IN MGR NUTRITIOUS MEAL PROGRAMME & MIDDAY MEAL SCHEME BY STATE AND CENTRAL GOVERNMENT?
– AUTHOR: MUSKAN DOSAR
“On behalf of IPR Attorney Association, I request state of Tamil Nadu and central government is to include Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai in the in the state of Tamil Nadu under the scheme of PURATCHI THALAIVAR MGR – NUTRITIOUS MEAL PROGRAMME and
all over India under the scheme of MIDDAY MEAL and encourage its purchase by state and central government because of its rich nutritional value” stated by Adv. P. Sanjai Gandhi, President, Intellectual property Rights Attorney Association, GI Experts.
‘Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai’ is ready-to-eat solid, brittle sweet generally made from casting a mix of dry nuts and hot jaggery syrup. It is made using all natural ingredients such as traditional and special ‘vellam’ (jaggery) and Groundnuts grown on the native black soil in and around Kolilpatti and water from river Thamirabarani is used for production which enhances the taste naturally. In north India it is called as ‘Chikki’. ‘Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai’ has obtained great repute owing to its unique flavour and taste. It is manufactured at ‘Kovilpatti’ and adjacent towns and villages in Thoothukudi District, Tamil Nadu, India.

Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai was granted the Geographical Indication (GI) tag on 30 April, 2020 due to its uniqueness. A Geographical Indication (GI) tag is a sign that is used to link a particular item with its geographical place of origin and is mainly used as a certification for its quality. The GI Laws protect an item from being duplicated in any way elsewhere. Some of the uniqueness are mentioned below (as per GI application):

  1. The Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai obtains its unique flavour from the use of the Jaggery (organic jaggery), in carefully selected quantities from selected specific locations in Tamil Nadu which are unlike the regular jaggery.
  2. The Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai makes use of only natural ingredients being laden in proteins, vitamins and minerals, making it nutritious and energetic food.
  3. The production of Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai is done in “Veragu Aduppu”, a special old form of stow, which gives Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai a special flavour.
  4. The preparation of the Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai involves great skill that requires accurately timed, swift clockwise and anticlockwise moves of the cook’s ladle, to ensure that the bubbles dissipate and a limp of peanuts embedded in hardened syrup emerges.
  5. The preparation of the Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai involves rolling it over a measuring plank and knife, then doing surgical stokes till hundreds of lines criss cross the mittai
  6. The production of Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai requires a constant observation with respect to its heating limits and quantity of ingredients used. There is a specific paste form that has to be acquired by heating which only a skilled person who has been involved in manufacturing of the Kovilpatti Kadalai Mittai can calculate.
    The application was filed by Kovilpatti Regional Kadalaimittai Manufacturers and Retailers Association in 2014. Counsel on behalf of applicant was P. Sanjai Gandhi, he is an expert in intellectual property.

National IP Award Winner
A native of Thanjavur, Sanjai moved to Madras in 1993 to pursue law at the Madras Government College. Getting Kancheepuram Silk geographical indication was the first feather in his cap.
Kancheepuram Silk, applied for by Sanjai, became the second item to receive the GI tag from the state. He has registered a total of 21 cooperative societies and 10 individuals under the Kancheepuram GI tag, thus helping them become authentic manufacturers of the famed Kancheepuram silk sarees.
“All of them value the certificate equal to their venerated art form. The GI tag helps them export their products, vouching for its authenticity and quality,” Sanjai adds.
Out of the 35 products registered from Tamil Nadu, Sanjai is responsible for 23 of them, including Bhavani Jamakkalam, Madurai Sungudi, Thanjavur Paintings, Salem Venpattu, Kovai Kora Cotton Sarees, Arani Silk, Eathomozhy Tall Coconut, Thanjavur Doll, Pattamadai Pai, Nachiarkoil Kuthuvilakku, Toda Embroidery, Thanjavur Veenai, Mahabalipuram Stone
Sculpture and Thirubuvanam Silk Sarees, in addition to ‘Authorised User’ for Thanjavur Art Plate, Swamimalai Bronze Icons and Temple Jewellery of Nagercoil. He has also registered and received the GI mark for the Tangalia Shawl from Gujarat. While Registerred Proprietor GI is given for societies, ‘Authorised User’ GI tag is specifically used by individuals.
Sanjai was honored with the National IP Award in 2018 under ‘Top Individual for Best facilitation of Registration of GI and Promotion of registered GI in India’ category. He attributes his interest and dedication to the training programme for which he was selected to participate in 2007.

Certificate issued by Government of India
“The Japan Patent Office selected two IP attorneys from India, myself included, in 2007, for more than 2 weeks training programme in Tokyo. By that time, I had applied for and obtained GI for Kancheepuram Silk. The training programme helped me further and soon after, I have been rigorously working in this field,” he shares.
Sanjai is president and founder of the Intellectual Property Attorney Association Body, constituted in 2011 and in 2015 he established the Sulakshana Panneer Selvam Intellectual Property Rights for Agriculture & Rural Development Centre. Sanjai has also authored a book titled “Arts and Crafts of India: Registered GI Products” to spread awareness about IPR. This is a first book for all registered GI goods information throughout India. It is first time in history for GI published books.
Sanjai hopes that with more awareness programmes organised as part of the societies he has formed in the state, more people will come forward to obtain GI tags for their unique products. He says “Our country has a huge wealth of products that cannot be found or made anywhere else in the world. It is our responsibility to protect them as much as we can.”

Chennai based IP lawyer AUTHOR: P. Sanjai Gandhi Muskan Dosar,
Student, The ICFAI University, Dehradun, Uttarakhand.

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