BioVoice News August 2017 Issue 3 Volume 2 | Page 51

rights, stimulates investment in research and development and creation of new varieties and facilitates growth of the seed industry to ensure the availability of high quality seeds and planting material to the farmers. India, after having provided protection for plants and varieties under the PPVFR Act, amended the Patents Act, 1970 in 2002 to keep plants and their parts thereof, plant varieties and seeds outside the scope of the Patents Act. By an amendment in 2002, inter alia, clause (c) Section 3 was amended and clause BIOVOICENEWS.COM 51