QCI Recruitment 2023 for Patent Examiner: The Ultimate Guide

If you are looking for a challenging and rewarding career in the field of patents and designs, then you might be interested in the QCI Recruitment 2023. Quality Council of India (QCI) is a government body that conducts the recruitment process for the post of Examiner of Patents and Designs Group-A (Gazetted) on behalf of the Office of the Controller General of Patents, Designs and Trade Marks (CGPDTM).

Examiner of Patents and Designs is a prestigious post that involves examining the patent applications and granting or refusing the patents based on the criteria of novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability. The examiners also deal with the design applications and grant or refuse the design registrations based on the criteria of originality, novelty and visual appeal.

The QCI Recruitment 2023 is a golden opportunity for candidates who have a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in various disciplines of science, engineering, technology or medicine. The selected candidates will get a handsome salary of Rs.56,100/- to Rs. 1,77,500/- per month along with other benefits and allowances. The candidates will also get a chance to work in one of the four offices of CGPDTM located in Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai and Kolkata.

In this article, we will provide you with all the information you need to know about the QCI Recruitment 2023, such as eligibility criteria, vacancies, exam pattern, syllabus, application process, fees, selection process and important dates. We will also give you some tips and tricks to prepare well for the exam.

Eligibility Criteria

Before applying for the QCI Recruitment 2023, you must ensure that you fulfill the following eligibility criteria:

• Nationality: You must be a citizen of India or a subject of Nepal or Bhutan or a Tibetan refugee who came to India before January 1, 1962 or a person of Indian origin who migrated from Pakistan, Burma, Sri Lanka or East African countries with the intention of permanently settling in India.
• Age Limit: You must have attained the age of 21 years and must not have attained the age of 35 years as on August 4, 2023. However, there are certain relaxations in the upper age limit for candidates belonging to reserved categories as per the government rules.
• Educational Qualification: You must have a bachelor’s degree or a master’s degree in one of the disciplines mentioned in the official notification from a recognized university or institution. The disciplines include biochemistry, biotechnology, chemistry, computer science/engineering/information technology, electrical engineering, electronics/communication engineering, food technology, microbiology, physics and zoology. You must also have basic knowledge of computer operations.
   

Vacancies

The QCI Recruitment 2023 has announced a total of 553 vacancies for the post of Examiner of Patents and Designs. The vacancies are distributed among various disciplines and categories as per the reservation policy of the government. The details of the vacancies are given below:

Exam Pattern

The QCI Recruitment 2023 consists of three phases: Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination and Interview. The candidates have to qualify each phase to proceed to the next phase. The details of each phase are given below:

Preliminary Examination

The preliminary examination is an online objective type test that consists of 150 questions for 150 marks. The duration of the test is 2 hours. The questions are based on general English, general knowledge, general science, verbal and non-verbal reasoning and quantitative aptitude. There is negative marking of 0.25 marks for each wrong answer. The minimum qualifying marks for the preliminary examination are 50% for UR/EWS category, 45% for OBC category and 40% for SC/ST/PwBD category. The preliminary examination is only a screening test and the marks obtained in this phase will not be counted for the final merit list.

Mains Examination

The mains examination is an online descriptive type test that consists of two papers: Paper-I and Paper-II. The duration of each paper is 3 hours. Paper-I is common for all candidates and consists of 300 marks. Paper-I tests the candidates’ knowledge of English language, grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and writing skills. Paper-II is specific to the discipline chosen by the candidate and consists of 300 marks. Paper-II tests the candidates’ knowledge of the subject matter related to patents and designs. The minimum qualifying marks for the mains examination are 50% for UR/EWS category, 45% for OBC category and 40% for SC/ST/PwBD category. The marks obtained in the mains examination will be counted for the final merit list.

Interview

The interview is a face-to-face interaction that consists of 100 marks. The interview tests the candidates’ personality, communication skills, general awareness, aptitude and suitability for the post. The minimum qualifying marks for the interview are 50% for UR/EWS category, 45% for OBC category and 40% for SC/ST/PwBD category. The marks obtained in the interview will be counted for the final merit list.

Syllabus

The syllabus for the QCI Recruitment 2023 is given below:

Preliminary Examination

• General English: Reading comprehension, synonyms, antonyms, idioms and phrases, one word substitution, sentence correction, error spotting, fill in the blanks, cloze test, jumbled sentences, etc.
• General Knowledge: Current affairs, history, geography, polity, economy, science and technology, sports, awards and honors, books and authors, important dates and events, etc.
• General Science: Physics, chemistry, biology, environmental science, health and hygiene, etc.
• Verbal Reasoning: Analogy, classification, series completion, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense test, logical sequence of words, syllogism, statement and conclusion, statement and assumption, statement and argument, course of action, cause and effect, etc.
• Quantitative Aptitude: Number system, simplification, approximation, HCF and LCM, ratio and proportion, percentage, average, profit and loss, simple and compound interest, time and work, time and distance, pipes and cisterns, boats and streams, problems on trains, permutation and combination, probability, data interpretation, etc.
   

Mains Examination

Paper-I: English language, grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and writing skills. The paper will consist of essay writing, précis writing, letter writing and report writing.

Paper-II: Subject matter related to patents and designs. The paper will consist of questions based on the following topics:

• Patent Act 1970: Definitions, types of patents, patentability criteria, novelty, inventive step and industrial applicability, prior art, disclosure of invention, specification and claims, provisional and complete specification, convention application and priority date, international application under Patent Cooperation Treaty (PCT), examination of patent applications, grant or refusal of patents, opposition proceedings, revocation of patents, infringement of patents, remedies for infringement, compulsory licenses and revocation on grounds of non-working.
• Patent Rules 2003: Forms and fees, filing of patent applications, publication of patent applications, request for examination, amendments to patent applications and specifications, divisional applications and patents of addition, post-grant opposition proceedings, renewal fees and restoration of lapsed patents.
• Designs Act 2000: Definitions, types of designs, registrability criteria originality, novelty and visual appeal, prior publication, disclosure of design, application and registration of design, examination of design applications, grant or cancellation of design registration, piracy of registered design, remedies for piracy, copyright in registered design.
• Designs Rules 2001: Forms and fees, filing of design applications, classification of designs, publication of registered designs, inspection and certified copies of registered designs, cancellation proceedings.
   

Application Process

The application process for the QCI Recruitment 2023 is online and consists of the following steps:

• Step 1: Visit the official website of QCI at www.qcin.org and click on the link for QCI Recruitment 2023.
• Step 2: Read the official notification carefully and ensure that you fulfill the eligibility criteria.
• Step 3: Click on the link for online application and register yourself by providing your basic details such as name, date of birth, email id, mobile number, etc. You will receive a registration number and password on your registered email id and mobile number.
• Step 4: Login with your registration number and password and fill up the online application form by providing your personal details, educational details, experience details, discipline preference, exam center preference, etc. You must also upload your scanned photograph and signature as per the prescribed specifications.
• Step 5: Pay the examination fee online through debit card/credit card/net banking or offline through e-challan at any branch of State Bank of India. The examination fee is Rs.1000/- for candidates belonging to General category and OBC category and Rs.500/- for candidates belonging to SC/ST category, PwBD category and women applicants. The fee once paid is non-refundable and non-transferable.
• Step 6: Submit the online application form and take a printout of the confirmation page for future reference. You must also download and print the e-admit card for the preliminary examination from the website before the exam date.
   

Selection Process

The selection process for the QCI Recruitment 2023 is based on the performance of the candidates in the three phases: Preliminary Examination, Mains Examination and Interview. The candidates have to qualify each phase to proceed to the next phase. The final merit list will be prepared based on the marks obtained in the mains examination and interview. The candidates will be allotted to one of the four offices of CGPDTM based on their rank in the merit list and their preference.

Important Dates

The important dates for the QCI Recruitment 2023 are given below:

Tips and Tricks

To prepare well for the QCI Recruitment 2023, you can follow these tips and tricks:

• Know the syllabus and exam pattern: The first step to prepare for any exam is to know the syllabus and exam pattern thoroughly. This will help you to plan your study schedule accordingly and focus on the important topics. You can also refer to the previous year question papers and mock tests to get an idea of the difficulty level and type of questions asked in the exam.
• Improve your English skills: As English is an important part of both the preliminary and mains examination, you must improve your English skills by reading newspapers, magazines, books and online articles regularly. You must also practice grammar, vocabulary, comprehension and writing skills by solving exercises and writing essays, précis, letters and reports on various topics.
• Update your general knowledge: General knowledge is another important part of the preliminary examination that covers current affairs and static topics. You must update your general knowledge by reading newspapers magazines, books and online sources regularly. You must also revise the important facts, dates, events, awards, personalities, etc. related to history, geography, polity, economy, science and technology, sports, etc.
• Strengthen your reasoning and aptitude: Reasoning and aptitude are also important parts of the preliminary examination that test your logical thinking and problem-solving skills. You must strengthen your reasoning and aptitude by practicing various topics such as analogy, classification, series, coding-decoding, blood relations, direction sense, syllogism, statement and conclusion, etc. You must also practice various topics such as number system, simplification, approximation, ratio and proportion, percentage, average, profit and loss, time and work, time and distance, permutation and combination, probability, data interpretation, etc.
• Revise your subject knowledge: Subject knowledge is the most important part of the mains examination that tests your knowledge of the subject matter related to patents and designs. You must revise your subject knowledge by referring to the official notification and the syllabus. You must also read the Patent Act 1970, Patent Rules 2003, Designs Act 2000 and Designs Rules 2001 thoroughly and understand the concepts and provisions related to patents and designs. You must also practice solving questions based on these topics.
• Prepare for the interview: The interview is the final phase of the selection process that tests your personality, communication skills, general awareness, aptitude and suitability for the post. You must prepare for the interview by reading about the QCI and CGPDTM and their functions and objectives. You must also be aware of the current affairs and issues related to patents and designs. You must also practice answering common interview questions such as tell me about yourself, why do you want to join QCI/CGPDTM as an examiner of patents and designs, what are your strengths and weaknesses, etc. You must also dress formally and confidently for the interview.
   

We hope that this article has provided you with all the information you need to know about the QCI Recruitment 2023. We wish you all the best for your exam preparation and success in your career.