Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FRA) Act, 2001 | 14 Nov 2025

Source: PIB 

Why in News?  

India marked the Silver Jubilee of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FRA) Act, 2001 and the 21st Foundation Day of PPV&FRA with the Plant Genome Saviour Awards Ceremony in New Delhi.  

  • The award honours individuals who conserve and preserve the genetic diversity of economically important plants and their wild relatives. 

What is the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FRA) Act, 2001? 

  • About: The PPV&FR Act, 2001 under the Ministry of Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, establishes a sui generis system for protecting plant varieties.  
    • The Act provides legal recognition to both commercial plant breeders and farmers, promoting conservation and improvement of plant genetic resources.  
    • It also aligns with India's TRIPS obligations and the International Union for Protection of New Plant Varieties (UPOV Convention) addressing the country's agricultural needs. 
  • Rights under the Act: 
    • Breeders’ Rights: Breeders get exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import, or export protected varieties. They may appoint agents or licensees and can seek legal action for infringement. 
    • Researchers’ Rights: Researchers may use any registered variety for experiments or to develop new varieties but repeated use needs prior permission of the registered breeder. 
    • Farmers’ Rights: Under the act, a farmer who has evolved or developed a new variety is entitled to register it and receive protection in the same manner as a breeder. 
      • A farmer can continue to save, use, sow, re-sow, exchange, share, or sell his farm produce, including seed, even if the variety is protected under the PPV&FR Act, but he cannot sell it as branded seed. 
  • Implementing Authority: Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) is the primary body responsible for the implementation of the Act. 
  • Significance: The act promotes agricultural innovation while ensuring seed sovereignty for farmers. 
    • It protects traditional knowledge and rewards community conservation efforts. 
    • It supports both public and private sector plant breeding institutions and enhances India's compliance with global IPR norms without compromising food and livelihood security.

Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA) 

  • About: The PPV&FRA was formally set up on 11 November 2005 is a statutory body established under the PPV&FRA, 2001, under the Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers’ Welfare, Government of India.  It is headquartered in New Delhi. 
  • Composition: The Authority is led by a Chairperson and has 15 members.  The Registrar General serves as the ex-officio Member Secretary. 
  • Objectives: The PPV&FRA provides breeders’ rights, rewards farmers for conserving traditional varieties, protects farmers’ rights to use and share farm-saved seed, supports research and innovation. 
    • It maintains the National Register of Plant Varieties, helping preserve biodiversity and traditional knowledge. 

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) 

1. What is the PPV&FRA Act, 2001? 
The PPV&FRA Act, 2001 is a sui generis law that provides intellectual property protection to plant breeders while formally recognising farmers’ rights to save, use, exchange and sell farm-saved seed and register farmer-developed varieties.

2. Who implements the PPV&FRA and what is its function? 
The Protection of Plant Varieties & Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FRA), headquartered in New Delhi, implements the Act, maintains the National Register of Plant Varieties and adjudicates rights, benefit-sharing and registrations.

3. What rights does a breeder get under the Act? 
Registered breeders obtain exclusive rights to produce, sell, market, distribute, import or export the protected variety and can license or take legal action against infringement.

UPSC Civil Services Examination, Previous Year Question (PYQ) 

Q. Consider the following statements: (2019)

  1. According to the Indian Patents Act, a biological process to create a seed can be patented in India. 
  2. In India, there is no Intellectual Property Appellate Board. 
  3. Plant varieties are not eligible to be patented in India. 

Which of the statements given above is/are correct? 

(a) 1 and 3 only 

(b) 2 and 3 only 

(c) 3 only 

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Ans: (c)