Traditional knowledge must integrate with modern science, medicine: Dr Jitendra Singh
New Delhi, Aug 25 (IANS) Union MoS Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh said on Tuesday that traditional knowledge should be integrated more closely with modern science, medicine and emerging technologies to broaden its reach and societal impact.
The minister made the remarks on a visit to the CSIR‑Traditional Knowledge Digital Library here and urged stronger collaboration between CSIR-TKDL and academic or medical institutions.
He suggested greater scholarly engagement, including opportunities for co-guidance of postgraduate medical students, to expand traditional knowledge research among students and the wider research community. He noted that such collaborations would also help connect the work of TKDL with the younger generation.
Dr Singh emphasised the need for greater outreach and a wider scope of work in the field of traditional knowledge.
The minister said that traditional knowledge should not be viewed only through the prism of Ayurveda and other indigenous systems, but should increasingly be connected with institutions and disciplines across science and medicine as India moves towards a more integrated approach to research and innovation.
Dr Singh highlighted the need to familiarise younger students and researchers with traditional knowledge, intellectual property and the processes involved in documenting and protecting such knowledge.
The interaction also covered ongoing online learning and capacity-building initiatives aimed at widening access to education related to traditional knowledge.
Dr. Singh also underlined the importance of bringing together cutting-edge technology and India’s rich repository of traditional knowledge. He observed that India’s advanced scientific and technological capabilities, together with its extensive traditional knowledge base, provide an opportunity to develop a more integrated approach to research and innovation.
The discussions also highlighted the data architecture and standardised terminology developed for TKDL, enabling effective searches and presentation of traditional knowledge in formats that can be understood by patent examiners.
The knowledge resources have been made available to patent offices in multiple languages, including English, French, German, Japanese and Spanish, the statement from the Ministry of Science & Technology said.
TKDL was institutionalised in 2001, initially focusing on Ayurveda formulations, and was subsequently expanded to cover other systems of traditional knowledge.
—IANS
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