2.26 lakh patent applications are pending because government doesn't have enough manpower

As many as 2,26,339 patent applications are pending for approval due to shortage of professionals, Parliament was informed today.

Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman confirmed today that the patent applications were lying pending with the government for approval because of a shortage of professionals.

She said that pending patent applications are measured in terms of pending requests of examinations which are awaiting disposal at different stages of processing in patent offices.

In the four patent offices, Delhi (at 83,291 applications) has maximum number of applications pending, followed by Chennai (74,390 applications), Kolkata (40,558 applications) and Mumbai (28,100 applications).

Sitharaman said the government has taken steps to clear the pendency.

The government has approved additional 252 posts of examiners and 76 posts of controllers.

"With this, the total sanctioned strength of examiners and controllers has become 589 and 170 respectively. The process of recruitment to 459 vacant posts of examiners has already been initiated and advertisement issued in this regard," the minister said.

Besides, she said, as a short-time measure, 263 posts of contract examiners of patents have also been sanctioned.