The Chennai-based Geographical Indication Registry under Controller General of Patents, Designs & Trademarks had recently had conferred the tag of Geographical Indication on September 15th, 2009. In simple terms it is a Patent for Tirupati Laddu and the Laddu can be produced only by the Tirupati Tirumala Temple Administration – TTDs. The tag of Geographical Indication would ban others from making and marketing the ‘laddus’ under the same name. The Tirupati Laddu Patent has been challenged through a 'suo motu' action in Supreme Court by R. S. Praveen Raj, a scientist and resident of Trivandrum , Kerala. The Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanams (TTDs), the administrative body of Tirupati Balaji Temple , had applied for the GI Tag to effectively tackle the production and marketing of ‘spurious and fake laddus’ in and around Tirupati. R. S. Praveen Raj is of the view that Tirupati Laddu is a Prasadam, or sacred food offered at temple, and it is not a ‘Good’ – articl