law: Patents Act, 1970
  12. Examination of application
  (1) When the complete specification has been filed in respect of
  
  an application for a patent, the application and the specification relating
  
  thereto shall be referred by the controller to an examiner for making a report
  
  to him in respect of the following matters, namely,-
  (a) whether the application and the
  
  specification relating thereto are in accordance with the requirements of this
  
  Act and of any rules made thereunder;
  (b) whether there is any lawful ground of
  
  objection to the grant of the patent under this Act in pursuance of the
  
  application;
  (c) the result of investigations made under
  
  section 13; and
  (d) any other matter which may be prescribed.
  (2) The examiner to whom the application and the specification
  
  relating thereto are referred under sub-section (1) shall ordinarily make the
  
  report to the Controller within a period of eighteen months from the date of
  
  such reference.