NID plans to set up IPR research chair

With an aim to encourage more innovation and creativity in the field of design, the National Insitute of Design (NID) is planning to set up a research chair in Intellectual Property Rights (IPR).

To be established within six months' time, the research chair will focus on all aspects of intellectual property rights. The chair aims to generate awareness on IPR related issues through research, support information for the IPR protection, facilitate documentation of work to be protected and technical interface with the authorities of IPR including experts and lawyers.

“India as a country needs awareness on IP to encourage innovation. To facilitate the process of protection of intellectual property rights and to promote innovation, it becomes imperative to make people aware of their intellectual property rights. It is in this regard that we are planning to set up a research chair at the institute,” said Shashank Mehta, activity ahairperson, research and publications at NID.

In order to set up the chair, the institute would be getting a grant from the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD). Usually , a grant of Rs 20-25 lakhs is released to set up an IPR chair at higher education institutes.

"We need to encourage more people to apply for their intellectual property rights. We already have an IPR cell at the campus. With the research chair, we intend to take the IPR cell to a higher level. And it would include education and other activities to promote all aspects of IP like patent, copyright, trademark, design registration and geographical indication," Mehta added.

The IPR cell was first established as an entity within NID in 1999 with a clear mandate of facilitating and guiding students and others in the various aspects and issues in the field of IPR.

The MHRD has been focussing on IP education through separate IP Research (IPR) cells, courses and seminars on IP matters at various higher education institutes across the country. The idea behind setting up the IPR cell is to facilitate researchers, inventors and creators to manage their intellectual property rights through this legal machinery.

As a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development (MHRD)'s focus on Intellectual Property (IP) education, the Indian Institutes of Management (IIMs) and the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) have been released a grant of Rs four crore for four years.