Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences and MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh, on Tuesday called for deeper integration of India’s traditional knowledge with modern science, medicine and emerging technologies to expand its societal impact.
Speaking during his visit to the CSIR-Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (CSIR-TKDL) in New Delhi, Singh said traditional knowledge should move beyond its conventional association with Ayurveda and other indigenous systems of medicine and increasingly connect with institutions and disciplines across modern science and healthcare.
The Minister emphasised the need for stronger collaboration between CSIR-TKDL and academic as well as medical institutions. He suggested greater scholarly engagement, including opportunities for co-guidance of postgraduate medical students, to encourage research on traditional knowledge and bring younger researchers into the field.
Singh said India’s advanced scientific and technological capabilities, combined with its extensive traditional knowledge base, provide an opportunity to develop a more integrated approach to research and innovation.
During the visit, the Minister was briefed on the evolution of TKDL from an initiative focused primarily on digitising traditional knowledge into a structured knowledge resource that presents such knowledge using modern scientific and intellectual property terminology.
Institutionalised in 2001, TKDL initially focused on Ayurveda formulations and was subsequently expanded to cover other systems and areas of traditional knowledge. Its standardised data architecture and terminology enable patent examiners to search and understand documented traditional knowledge.
The knowledge resources have been made available to patent offices in multiple languages, including English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish.
The Minister was informed that TKDL has played an important role in preventing patents from being granted for knowledge that had already been documented as part of India’s traditional knowledge heritage. The repository has also expanded beyond medicinal formulations to include areas such as diagnostic methods, devices and surgical practices.
Singh stressed the importance of further strengthening the educational and academic outreach of TKDL. He said students and researchers should be familiarised with traditional knowledge, intellectual property rights and the processes involved in documenting and protecting such knowledge.
The discussions also covered online learning and capacity-building initiatives aimed at widening access to education related to traditional knowledge.
The Minister highlighted the potential for greater collaboration between institutions working on traditional knowledge and organisations engaged in modern medicine and scientific research. Referring to emerging studies involving traditional practices, he emphasised the need for evidence-based research and stronger institutional engagement to connect traditional knowledge with contemporary scientific approaches.
During his visit, Singh reviewed resources at the TKDL book stall and digital library and interacted with officials and experts involved in documenting, organising and disseminating India’s traditional knowledge in a structured digital format.
He also participated in a plantation activity during the visit.
Singh expressed confidence that by widening its outreach, strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and connecting traditional knowledge with contemporary science and technology, CSIR-TKDL can further enhance the relevance and impact of India’s traditional knowledge repository.
The programme was attended by Dr M. Kalaiselvi, Director General, CSIR and Secretary, DSIR; Dr Viswajanni Sattigari, Head, CSIR-TKDL; and Mahendra Kumar Gupta, Joint Secretary, CSIR, among other officials and experts.
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