An initiative- Grassroots Technology Acquisition Fund

National Innovation Foundation (NIF), an autonomous body of Department of Science & Technology, Govt. of India.NIF has playing important role in support of grass root innovations. Please click here to know more about NIF. NIF has assisted in filing of many applications under various IPRs as Patent, Trademark, Design and Plant Variety Registration, for detail of various IPRs applications can be seen here. NIF has organized First Grassroots Technology Acquisition Fund (TAF) meeting at NASC Complex, New Delhi on 21 Feb 2012 in collaboration with Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Authority (PPVFRA). The objective of meeting was to explain the concept of technology acquisition fund to innovative farmers, was chaired by Dr. PL Gautam, Chairman, PPVFRA. Under TAF, NIF will obtain the rights of technologies from innovators after compensating them for the same.

NIF will then disseminate/diffuse them at low cost or no cost for the larger benefit of the society. In many cases, further research work will also be undertaken. In this meeting, 24 farmers, from 8 states, who had developed over 39 improved varieties of 15 crops like paddy, wheat, mustard, bean, pigeon pea, cardamom, pepper etc. participated and Rs 13, 00, 000 disbursed to them from the TAF.

It is for the information of readers that NIF has filed many applications for Plant Variety Registration on behalf of the innovator(s)/ farmer(s) under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers' Rights Act, 2001.The following is list of applications available on NIF website;

Sr. No.	Crop	Innovator's Name	Denomination	Application Number	Status
1	Oryza Sativa L.	Dadaji Ramaji Khobragade	HMT	REG/2008/138	Under DUS Testing
2	Triticum Aestivum L	Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi	Kudrat 9	REG/2009/219	Under DUS Testing
3	Cicer Arietinum L.	Balasaheb Appasaheb Patil	Sushil Laxmi	REG/2008/467	Under DUS Testing
4	Cajanus Cajan (L.) Millsp.	Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi	Kudrat 3	REG/2009/220	Under examination
5	Triticum Aestivum L.	Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi	Kudrat 7	REG/2009/322	Under examination
6.	Triticum Aestivum L.	Prakash Singh Raghuvanshi	Kudrat 11	REG/2009/323	Under examination
7.	Triticum Aestivum L.	Mahaveer Singh Arya	Mahaveer Kishan Vardan	REG/2009/324	Under examination
8.	Triticum Aestivum L.	Mahaveer Singh Arya	Mk Kranti	REG/2009/325	Under examination
9.	Cajanus Cajan (L.) Millsp.	Rajkumar Rathore	Richa 2000	REG/2009/326	Under DUS Testing
10.	Cicer Arietinum	Sunda Ram Verma	SR-1	REG/2009/327	Under DUS Testing
11.	Oryza Sativa L.	Dadaji Ramaji Khobragade	DRK	REG/2009/333	Under examination
12.	Arachis hypogaea	Dhiraj Lal Thummar	DHIRAJ 101	REG/2011/91	Under examination
13.	Arachis hypogaea	Rajnikant K Patel	KRISHNA	REG/2011/90	Under examination

The said organization is really doing good work & addressing the issues of grassroots level & helping grass root innovator in all the ways.