2.37 lakh patent applications pending with govt: Nirmala

As many as 2.37 lakh patent applications are pending with the government, the Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday. “The total number of patent applications and trademark registration requests pending as on February 1, 2016 are 2,37,029 and 5,44,171 respectively,” Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said. 

The government has taken several measures to clear the applications and that includes sanctioning of 373 additional posts in the patent wing. 

“The selection process to fill up 458 vacant posts of examiners of patents and designs has already been completed. Besides, as a short time measure, 263 contractual posts of examiners of patents and designs have also been created,” she said.