Lok Sabha Question No. 5639 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-04-07
Subject: Traditional Knowledge Digital Library
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH)

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED  QUESTION NO. 5639 TO BE ANSWERED ON 7 TH APRIL, 2017

## TRADITI ONAL KNOWLEDGE DIGIT AL LIBRARY

## 5639. SHRI KRUPAL BALAJI TUMANE:

Will  the  Minister of AYURVEDA,  YOGA  AND  NATUROPATHY,  UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (AYUSH) be pleased to state:

- (a) whether the Government proposes to set up Traditional Knowledge Digital Library in ord protect ancient Indian traditional medicinal s ystem and legacy of the country;
- (b) if so, the salient features thereof and the present status of the implementation;
- (c) the total cost of the project and expenditure incurred thereon;
- (d) the other impacts and benefits under the said projects; and
- (e)  the  measures  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  the  country's  ancient  and  traditional knowledge from biopiracy?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF STATE (IC) OF THE MINISTRY OF AYURVEDA, YOGA & NATUROPATHY, UNANI, SIDDHA AND HOMOEOPATHY (SHRI SHRIPAD YESSO NAIK)

- (a) & (b): The Ministry of AYUSH had already established Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) in collaboration with Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR A per the information pro vided by the CSIR, TKDL consisting of more than 3.30 lakh medicinal formulations of Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Yoga which are available in the public domain five  international  languages  namely  English,  Japanese,  French,  German  and  Spanish. facilita te the protection of country's traditional knowledge, access of TKDL has been provided to International  Patent  offices  (IPOs)  under  International  Agreement.  In  addition,  pr - grant opposition on patent applications along with prior art evidences from TKDL a re submitted on a regular basis.
- (c): As per the information provided by the CSIR, the implementing agency of the TKDL project, the expenditure incurred on the project is about Rs. 16.18 Crores during the year 2012 - 2017.

Contd……

(d): As  per  the  information  received  from  CSIR,  till  date  TKDL  has  been  successful preventing the grant of wrong patents in 219 cases. For further facilitating the preventio of  wrong  patents  at  International  Patent  Offices  (IPOs),  International  Acc ess  Agreements  on TKDL have been concluded with United States Patent & Trademark Office, European Patent Office,  Canada  Patent  Office,  Germany  Patent  Office,  Japan  Patent  Office,  United  King Patent Office, Australia Patent Office, Malaysia Patent Office , Chile Pat nt Office and Indian Patent Office.

(e): Indian Patent Office had also brought out Guidelines for processing Patent Applica relating to Traditional Knowledge and Biological Material to help Patent examiner to a what constitute novelt y and inventive step in Traditional Knowledge (TK) related invention. T Biological Diversity Act, 2002 also aims at conservation of biological resources, sustain of its components and fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising out of the use of biol gical resources. Further, the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 requires every local body to con Biodiversity  Management  Committee  (BMC)  within  its  area  with  the  objective  to  prepa People's  Biodiversity  Register  in  consultation  with  local  p eople.  The  Register  shall  contain comprehensive  information  on  availability  and  knowledge  of  local  biological  resources, medicinal or any other use or any other traditional knowledge associated with them.

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