New Delhi: The Union Ministry of Commerce and Industry sought to revive the de-recognition proceedings against the All-India Association of Patent Officers’ Welfare Association (AIPOWA), issuing them a fresh show cause notice over the body litigating on behalf of government officers, particularly its members.
The show cause notice was issued on 28 July, 12 days after AIPOWA protested against the sudden closure of all entry, exit and fire gates of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM)’s two offices in Dwarka, Delhi.
Earlier, the ministry had issued notices in August 2025 and February 2026 too. However, it refrained from taking coercive action following AIPOWA’s petition in the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT) in March, this year.
The petition challenged the notices that took exception to AIPOWA litigating on behalf of officers, particularly its members.
The AIPOWA was served with a fresh show cause notice within two days of its general secretary raising concern over the manner in which all entry, exit and emergency gates of the CGPDTM’s office were shut on 15 July.
The AIPOWA general secretary’s mail to the CGPDTM’s office on 16 July detailed the sudden closure of all gates at 2:15 pm. The mail said the gate closure left more than 50 officers standing outside, while risking the lives of those who remained inside. Among the officers locked outside were women, who had obtained necessary permission for lunch, as per the rules, the communication claimed.
On 18 July, the ministry issued a show cause, followed by a 28 July notice, that asked the association to be present for a hearing. Both notices referred to the ministry’s previous notices of 18 August, 2025 and 11 February 2026.
Both condemned the association for espousing and supporting the cause of individual government servants relating to service matters. The AIPOWA is the lead petitioner in several cases filed against the alleged illegal working of the CGPDTM.
The notices criticised AIPOWA for pursuing service interests of individual officers, particularly those of its office-bearers, through litigation.
Upon receiving the two earlier notices, the AIPOWA had approached the Central Administrative Tribunal (CAT), which issued a notice to the ministry in March.
The AIPOWA is back in CAT following the fresh show cause notice. Unlike last time, when the tribunal did not stay the ministry’s show cause notice, the CAT on 3 August restrained the ministry from proceeding further in the matter.
The CAT noted AIPOWA’s claim that the notice was a counter-action to the association raising its voice against the alleged illegal and arbitrary action of the CGPDTM’s office. The tribunal was informed that the office is located in an old building where fire incidents have been reported in the past.
Importantly, during the 3 August hearing, the CAT bench of Harvinder Kumar Oberoi (judicial member) and Sumeet Jerath (administrative member) remarked on the high number of cases pending before the tribunal that arose from transfer orders notified by the CGPDTM office.
The transferred patent officers have challenged these orders before the CAT. As per an internal communication between the ministry and CGPDTM, close to 55 cases related to transfers are pending in the tribunal.
According to AIPOWA’s petition in the CAT, the association protested against the arbitrary action of the CGPDTM as it endangered the life of the officers.
Along with the petition, the association annexed its mail sent to the CGPDTM on 16 July. The mail mentioned three fire incidents that reportedly occurred in the old CGPDTM building to argue against the closing of designated fire exits within the office premises.
Shutting all fire exits was against safety regulations and inconsistent with the fundamental principles of fire and life safety given in the National Building Code of India, the association said.
AIPOWA’s email also raised the issue of the office canteen’s closure from 2023. This, it said, had compelled the staff members to step out of the office during lunch hours for food and to arrange their meal.
“This situation may occasionally result in marginal delays in returning to the office after lunch,” the mail reads.
(Edited by Ajeet Tiwari)