New Delhi, Feb 23: The Supreme Court today directed the Centre
to file its objections to the US multinational Monsanto's bid to
claim a patent on an Indian variety of wheat pending before the
European patent office.
The direction was issued by a bench of Chief Justice V N Khare
and Justice S H Kapadia when the Centre stated that the patent
sought was not for an Indian variety.
The court, however, said that it did not want to take any risk
and asked the Centre to file the objections even then. The court also
asked the Centre to respond to the Public Interest Litigation (PIL)
filed by the Centre for science, technology and ecology and green
activist Vandana Shiva alleging that Centre was not contesting the
patent claim of the US multinational.
The court directed listing of the PIL on March 12 for further
hearing.
Bureau Report
