India may improve on global IP index

India’s position may improve in the International Intellectual Property (IP) index this year. This ascent will be due to amendments in National IP policy. India dropped to 43^rd position among 45 top global economies.

Only Pakistan (44th) and Venezuela (45th) ranked below India in 2017. The U.S., the U.K., Germany, Japan, Sweden, France, Switzerland, Singapore, South Korea and Italy completed the top 10 ranks. China ranked 27th, South Africa (33rd), Brazil (32nd) and Russia (23rd). So, we were the worst BRICS country on the index.

Patrick Kilbride, International Vice President, GIPC, released a statement of adding a new category – on systemic efficiency, which looks at how countries are working to enable domestic entrepreneurs to take advantage of intellectual property (IP) rights. India may perform well in this category. This year’s survey will use 40 indicators to map 50 countries.

He said, “You will see that India’s performance on our index is very similar to the trend with the Global Innovation Index, with the World Bank Doing Business report. India has gradually climbed the ladder on these so you will find it is a similar trend on our index too. I think it will be a good news for the policymakers here in keeping with the steps that have been taken under the new (IPR) policy.”

Talking about India’s national IPR policy, Kilbride said, “When a statute makes it likely that a patent will be overturned or it creates that impression of uncertainty then it makes it difficult for the industry to invest in long term high risk, expensive R&D.”

Conclusion

Research in India is on wheelchair. Funds from government to UGC dried. Base-less research on cow dung, ancient India, etc. receive a lot of funds instead of proper research in science, technology and society. We import technology and later, we copy them. Researchers are copying shamelessly without citing the reference. So, we should not be shocked over this dismal rank. The new framework is here to stay but review should be regular on the basis of present and future advances. In short, India has to go a long way to reach an acceptable level in academics and research.

Read this: http://mavericktimes.in/2017/12/06/research-in-india-the-dreadful-reality/