1. Introduction

Intellectual property (IP) nurtures and encourages innovation and creativity, thereby contributing towards cultural and economic development of the society. IP is amulti-faceted tool, which, for instance, (i) provides encouragement to inventors, authors and artists; (ii) brings sustainability to the cycle of research and development; (iii) grants protection to businesses against unauthorized use of their goodwill; and(iv) contributes towards poverty alleviation of craftsmen who are grass-root geographical indication authorized users. IP can be a very effective tool in achieving the Hon’ble Prime Minister’s vision of an Aatmanirbhar Bharat.

India is a few weeks away from the 75th Anniversary of Independence. On this monumental occasion, a special initiative ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’ has been undertaken by the Government of India to celebrate the journey of India since independence. In this context, the Hon’ble Union Minister of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal has assigned a task to this Office to generate IP awareness among one million students in the country. IP awareness is essential to ensure that the intellectual capital being generated in the country gets due recognition and protection, so that the IP creators can enjoy the benefits emanating therefrom.

In view thereof, the Office of CGPDTM has formulated this mission, namely, the National Intellectual Property Awareness Mission (NIPAM), which will be undertaken under the Government of India’s initiative ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’.

2. Objective and Target

To contribute towards building an Aatmanirbhar Bharat by participating in Government of India’s initiative ‘Azadi Ka Amrit Mahotsav’, and thereby under this Mission generating IP awareness among one million students across the country.

3. Target group

This Mission will target students at two levels as follows:

1. Level A - Schools (Class 9th to 12th)
2. Level B - Universities / Colleges

4. Modes of outreach

In view of the vast geographical expanse of India and the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic, multiple modes will be adopted taking into account the prevalent COVID-19 protocols and the convenience of the target audience.

5. Duration

This Mission aims to achieve the target by 15th August 2022. Subsequent thereto, the Mission will continue and will become an ongoing flagship program of this Office.

6. Budget

Funds will be utilized from appropriate budget heads of this Office.