(a) whether steps are being taken for protection of indigenous knowledge of bio-diversity in India;
(b) if so, the details thereof; and
(c) the measures proposed to be taken to protect especially the wealth of knowledge possessed by the `adivasis` and rural folks developed over generations and passed on orally ?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE MINISTRY OF SCIENCE && TECHNOLOGY AND MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) OF THE DEPARTMENT OF OCEAN DEVELOPMENT ( SHRI KAPIL SIBAL)
(a), (b) & (c).Yes Madam; some Central Ministries/Departments/ Institutions have already taken various steps
for protection of indigenous knowledge of bio-diversity in India. In order to prevent misappropriation of
traditional knowledge and biopiracy, a database is being jointly created by National Institute of Science
Communication and Information Resources (NISCAIR) of Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)
and Department of AYUSH, Ministry of Health and Family Welfare in the form of Traditional Knowledge Digital
Library (TKDL). The TKDL once accepted with a non-disclosure agreement by International Patent Offices will
prevent the misappropriation of the traditional knowledge. Based on the survey of tribal areas, the Central
Council for Research in Ayurveda and Siddha (CCRAS) and Central Council for Research in Unani Medicine
(CCRUM) have documented the knowledge on medicinal uses of plants and tribal folk medicine in the form of
various publications. The Central Institute of Medicinal and Aromatic Plants (CIMAP), Lucknow and National
Botanical Research Institute (NBRI), Lucknow are conducting awareness programmes among rural people by
setting up and maintaining demonstration plots of medicinal plants, organizing melas, demonstration and
lectures at village and district level. The Regional Research Laboratory (RRL), Jorhat has also brought out
a publication on herbal medicines of Manipur.