Crop Variety Registration and Intellectual Property Rights MCQs

1. Which of the following is required for a crop variety to be eligible for registration under the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights (PPV&FR) Act, 2001?
(A) The variety must be a transgenic variety
(B) The variety must be novel, distinct, uniform, and stable
(C) The variety must have been grown in India for at least 10 years
(D) The variety must be approved by the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR)

2. What is the primary purpose of crop variety registration under intellectual property rights (IPR)?
(A) To grant exclusive ownership of genetic material to the breeder
(B) To provide protection for the geographical origin of the crop variety
(C) To ensure the variety’s protection and recognition for its uniqueness
(D) To make the variety freely available for public use

3. Under the PPV&FR Act, who can file for the registration of a new plant variety?
(A) Only governmental agencies
(B) Only individual farmers
(C) Any breeder, including farmers, institutions, and organizations
(D) Only multinational seed companies

4. Which of the following is NOT a criterion for the distinctness of a crop variety under IPR law?
(A) The variety must differ from any known variety in its characteristics
(B) The variety must be capable of growing in multiple climates
(C) The variety must be stable over generations
(D) The variety must be uniform in its characteristics

5. What is the role of the National Seed Certification Authority (NSCA) in crop variety registration?
(A) To grant exclusive patents for crop varieties
(B) To monitor the quality and standardization of registered varieties
(C) To conduct research on new crop varieties
(D) To enforce geographical indications for specific varieties

6. Which of the following types of intellectual property rights is granted to breeders for new plant varieties?
(A) Copyright
(B) Trademark
(C) Patent
(D) Plant Breeder’s Rights (PBR)

7. What is the duration of protection granted to a registered plant variety under the PPV&FR Act for a breeder?
(A) 10 years
(B) 15 years
(C) 18 years
(D) 25 years

8. Which of the following is a key provision of the Plant Variety Protection and Farmers’ Rights Act regarding farmers’ rights?
(A) Farmers have the right to receive royalties from the commercialization of the varieties they developed
(B) Farmers can save, use, and sell seeds of registered varieties without restriction
(C) Farmers must pay a license fee to the breeder for every seed they plant
(D) Farmers cannot save or exchange seeds from registered varieties

9. What does the term “novelty” mean in the context of crop variety registration under IPR law?
(A) The variety must be in commercial use for at least 10 years
(B) The variety must be genetically modified
(C) The variety must not have been previously registered or known to the public
(D) The variety must exhibit desirable traits only in specific environmental conditions

10. What is the role of the Protection of Plant Varieties and Farmers’ Rights Authority (PPV&FR Authority) in India?
(A) To enforce patent law for agricultural products
(B) To manage seed commercialization for agricultural crops
(C) To oversee the registration of plant varieties and protect breeders’ and farmers’ rights
(D) To regulate the prices of seeds in the market

11. Which of the following best describes the concept of “farmer-breeder” in the context of intellectual property rights?
(A) A farmer who breeds and registers new plant varieties for commercial purposes
(B) A farmer who can freely exchange and use registered plant varieties without any legal restrictions
(C) A breeder who must pay farmers for their traditional knowledge of crop breeding
(D) A farmer who uses IPR protection to prevent others from using their own saved seeds

12. Which of the following best describes the concept of “farmers’ privilege” under the PPV&FR Act?
(A) Farmers can only use seeds from varieties that are not registered
(B) Farmers are prohibited from saving seeds of registered varieties
(C) Farmers can save, use, exchange, and sell seeds of registered varieties for non-commercial purposes
(D) Farmers must pay breeders a fee for each use of the registered variety

13. Which of the following is a potential disadvantage of crop variety registration under IPR law?
(A) It limits the commercialization of varieties to specific markets
(B) It restricts farmers’ ability to freely exchange seeds
(C) It encourages farmers to develop non-commercial crops
(D) It provides no incentive for the development of genetically modified crops

14. Which of the following is an example of “farmers’ rights” under the PPV&FR Act?
(A) Farmers can receive financial compensation from seed companies for crop innovations
(B) Farmers can claim patent rights on genetically modified seeds
(C) Farmers can challenge the registration of new varieties if they are based on traditional knowledge
(D) Farmers can exchange and sell seeds of any registered variety without restriction

15. In the context of crop variety protection, what is the concept of “distinctness” of a variety?
(A) The variety must be able to withstand all types of climate
(B) The variety must differ from other known varieties in at least one key characteristic
(C) The variety must produce higher yields than all other varieties
(D) The variety must be genetically identical to its parent