New Delhi April 8 (KNN) More than three centuries old, the well-known Meerut scissors have acquired the Geographical Indications (GI) tag. Their application no 389 has been registered with the  Geographical Indications Registry, Chennai.
 
Meerut has 250 small-scale scissors-making units, employing 70,000 people directly and indirectly producing handmade scissors particularly used for garment cutting and by barbers throughout India for nearly 100 years.
 
It is assumed that for the first time, a handmade tool from micro and small and medium enterprises in India has been registered for a GI.
 
A noteworthy speciality of these scissors is unlike most other scissors, these scissors can be repaired and reused many a times. A popular idiom “Dada le, potaa barte” (bought by the grandfather, and still used by grandson") floats in meerut and stands as a testimony to its quality and durability.
 
The other unique feature is they are made of carbon steel blades sourced from metal scrap of junk buses, cars trucks and railways and are made completely manually. While men make the scissors, women add their share of the efforts by performing tasks that require handwork and pack the products.

Both the Central and Uttar Pradesh governments have helped the industry, with UP government even allotting land at Lohia Nagar to set up a Common Facility Centre (CFC).

The applicant for the GI is Meerut Scissor Manufacturers Special Purpose Vehicle, with technical and legal support from the Intellectual Property Facilitation Centre (IPFC) of the Federation of Indian Micro and Small & Medium Enterprises (FISME).

With this listing the cluster expects to protect itself from the imitations produced by other makers in India and compete against cheaper imports from China and other countries. (KNN/VV)