Offer study of IPR as elective subject: UGC to varsities

New Delhi: Emphasising on importance of Intellectual Property Rights (IPR), the University Grants Commission (UGC) has asked varsities to offer it as a generic elective subject under the Choice Based Credit System.

In a letter to universities, UGC secretary Jaspal S Sandhu said that creations of mind such as inventions, designs for industrial articles, literary, artistic work, symbols, names and images etc are protected by lntellectual Property rights.

The importance of IPR was first recognized in Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property (1883) and the Berne Convention for Protection of Literary and Artistic Work (1886), the UGC official's letter said.

IPRs should be protected to encourage the creator and also striking a balance between the innovators and public interest by creating an awareness where creativity can flourish, the letter added.

"Keeping in view the importance of IPR which recognizes the work of the creator, you are requested to devise, through academic council, inclusion of the IPR as a generic elective subject under the Choice Based Credit System (CBCS) in your esteemed university and the affiliated colleges," the UGC secretary said in his letter.