Under the Patents Act, 1970, what is the term of protection granted for a patent in India, calculated from the date of filing of the application?

Explanation:  Section 53 of the Patents Act, 1970 (as amended by the Patents Amendment Act, 2002, in compliance with TRIPS Agreement obligations) provides that every patent shall be granted for a term of 20 years from the date of filing of the patent application. Prior to the 2002 amendment, the term was 14 years for most patents and 7 years for process patents in food/medicine. The TRIPS Agreement under the WTO mandates a minimum 20-year term for all member nations. Option (B) reflects the pre-amendment position and is a common distractor. The term runs from the date of filing, not the date of grant or publication making (C) the only correct answer.