12Registry and offices thereof

(1) The Central Government shall establish, for the purpose of this Act, a Registry which shall be known as the Plant Varieties Registry.

(2) The head office of the Plant Varieties Registry shall be located in the head office of the Authority, and for the purpose of facilitating the registration of varieties, there may be established, at such places, as the Authority may think fit, branch offices of the Registry.

(3) The Authority shall appoint a Registrar-General of Plant Varieties who shall be entitled to such salary and allowances and shall be subject to such conditions of service in respect of leave, pension, provident fund and such other matters as may be prescribed.

(4) The Authority may appoint such number of Registrars as it thinks necessary for registration of plant varieties under the superintendence and direction of the Registrar-General under this Act and may make regulations with respect to their duties and jurisdiction.

(5) The term of office and the conditions of service of the Registrars shall be such as may be provided by regulations.

(6) The Authority may, by notification in the Official Gazette, define the territorial limits within which a branch office of the Registry may exercise its functions.

(7) There shall be a seal of the Plant Varieties Registry.