Mithila Makhana received the geographical indication tag in which year?

Makhana is the seed of Euryale ferox, a thorny aquatic plant of still shallow water whose large round leaves cover the surface of ponds and chaurs; the seeds are gathered from the pond bed, dried, roasted and popped into the white kernels sold as makhana or phool makhana.

The makhana research centre is at Darbhanga, in the heart of the Mithila makhana belt, and work there covers pond management, the harvesting and popping process and improved varieties such as Swarna Vaidehi.

Cotton is a kharif crop, sown with the onset of the monsoon in June and July and picked from October onwards, because it needs warmth and rainfall during growth and dry weather at picking.

The Shahi litchi of Muzaffarpur and the neighbouring districts of north Bihar is known for its thin skin, small stone and high juice content, it received a geographical indication tag in 2018, and Muzaffarpur is called the litchi capital of the country and houses the National Research Centre on Litchi.

Magahi paan takes its name from the Magadh region and is grown in Gaya, Nawada, Aurangabad and Nalanda, where the soft leaf with its sweet taste and lack of sharpness has made it famous; it carries a geographical indication tag of its own.