SC directs Centre to file objections

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union Government to file objections before the European Patent Office to challenge the grant of pat...

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the Union Government to file objections before the European Patent Office to challenge the grant of patent on a wheat variety to US major Monsanto.

A bench comprising Chief Justice V.N. Khare and Justice S.H. Kapadia also asked the Centre to file within two weeks its response to a petition filed by Research Foundation for Science and Technology and activist Vandana Shiva.

The bench directed the government to file objections before the EPO when the counsel for the petitioner Pinky Anand said the government had not taken proper steps in this regard. The Government assured the Court that necessary objections would be filed before the EPO.

Story continues below this ad

The Government had said that the issue was raised in Parliament recently and the concerned minister had clarified that the variety on which Monsanto was getting the patent was to be used only in Europe.

The Court on February 13 had issued notices to Ministries of Agriculture, Commerce, Law, Industry and Environment on the public interest litigation (PIL).

The PIL had pointed out that in 1990 Unilever applied for a patent of wheat derived from traditional Indian variety ‘‘Nap Hal’’ before the EPO. In 1998, Unilever’s wheat division was acquired by Monsanto and five years later the patent was granted to Monsanto.

Air India safety violations, Air India show cause notices, Air India Boeing 787 crash, Air India London Gatwick crash, DGCA Air India inspections,

‘Unfortunate’: SC slams reports suggesting ‘pilot error’ led to Air India crash

Legal5 hr ago

The Supreme Court Monday issued notice on a plea seeking an independent and expeditious investigation into the June 12, 2025, crash of an Air India Boeing Dreamliner in Ahmedabad, which killed 260 people. The bench also termed as “unfortunate” media reports which indicated that “pilot error” was to blame for the crash, purportedly quoting some preliminary findings by the AAIB.

View all shorts

Live Blog