Basmati Rice – The On-Going Domestic Challenge

Basmati rice holds significance, not only in the daily lives of the Indians but world-wide as well. All over the world, Basmati rice is consumed, which makes it more important to protect the origin and quality of this agricultural product. After APEDA filed an application for acquisition of a GI tag for Basmati in India, the stakeholders in the State of Madhya Pradesh were left out. This turned into an ongoing tussle between the Madhya Pradesh and APEDA for GI tag for Basmati. This article covers and examines the arguments forwarded for non-inclusion of Madhya Pradesh districts in the GI application for Basmati and criticizes the misunderstanding behind the motive of procuring this tag.