IP Connect

Indian Patent Office to appoint more examiners

As informed by the Minister of Commerce and Industry, Mrs. Nirmala Sitahraman, to the Lok Sabha on November 30, 2015, 2,46,495 (246 thousand) patent applications and 5,32,682 (532 thousand) trademark applications are pending as on November 01, 2015.

As of October 31, in the present financial year, India has granted 3,581 patents, registered 37,799 trademarks, and has rejected 605 patent applications and 6,543 trademark registrations. 

Such delay in registration procedure is caused due to the lack of manpower and infrastructure. Mrs. Nirmala Sitahraman has stated that the Government of India has sanctioned 373 additional posts in the patent wing, including 252 posts of Examiners of Patents and Designs and 76 posts of Controllers of Patents and Designs. The recruitment process to fill 459 vacant posts of Examiners of Patents and Designs is stated to be underway. Besides, as a short-term measure, 263 contractual posts of Examiners of Patents and Designs are also stated to have been created.

Mrs. Nirmala Sitahraman added that amendments to the Trade Marks and Patent Rules have also been suggested to streamline the procedure of filing and disposal of applications.

Further, Dr. K.S. Kardam, Senior Joint Controller of Patents & Designs, Delhi Patent Office, in his opening speech on December 01, 2015 at the 2^nd International Conference on IP Law and Enforcement of IPR organized by Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) in New Delhi, emphasized on the need for increasing the strength of IP Officers in India. He stated that 431 new posts have been advertised wherein 252 are for the post of Patent Examiners. Further, 459 new posts for regular Patent Examiners are going to be appointed within this month, in addition to 250 examiners on contract, by the National Productivity Council. Therefore, by the beginning of next year, India is slated to have more than 850 examiners to reduce the pendency of examination of Patent Applications.