Lok Sabha Question No. 3350 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-12-17
Subject: Traditional Indian Systems of Medicines
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: Jayanta Kumar Roy, Vinod Kumar Sonkar, Bhola Singh, Sukanta Majumdar, Raja Amareshwara Naik, Sangeeta Kumari Singh Deo

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF AYUSH

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO-3350 ANSWERED ON 17/12/2021

## TRADITIONAL INDIAN SYSTEMS OF MEDICINES

## 3350.  DR. JAYANTA KUMAR ROY:

SHRI VINOD KUMAR SONKAR:

SHRI BHOLA SINGH:

DR. SUKANTA MAJUMDAR:

SHRI RAJA AMARESHWARA NAIK:

SHRIMATI SANGEETA KUMARI SINGH DEO:

Will the Minister of AYUSH be pleased to state:

- a) whether thousands of patients have been registered throughout the world by stealing the formulae of traditional Indian Systems of Medicines;
2. (b) if so, the details thereof and reaction of the Government thereto;
3. (c) whether  the  Government  has  put  in  place  Traditional  Knowledge  Digital  Library (TKDL) to protect ancient and traditional knowledge of Indian Systems of Medicines and heritage of the country;
4. (d) if so, the salient features and the status of implementation thereof;
5. (e) the amount allocated and released under the said scheme; and
6. (f) the other measures being taken by the Government to protect ancient and traditional knowledge of indigenous medicinal systems?

## ANSWER

## THE MINISTER OF AYUSH (SHRI SARBANANDA SONOWAL)

- (a)  No factual/ quantitative information is available in respect of thousands of patients who have been registered throughout the world by stealing the formulae of traditional Indian Systems of Medicines.
- (b) & (c) Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is a pioneering initiative of the Council of Scientific & Industrial Research jointly with the Ministry of Ayurveda, Yoga

and  Naturopathy,  Unani,  Siddha  and  Homeopathy  (AYUSH)  in  2001  to  prevent exploitation and to protect Indian traditional knowledge at Patent Offices worldwide. The TKDL was initiated as a sequel to the efforts taken by India to successfully revoke the turmeric  and  basmati  patents  granted  by  United  States  Patent  and  Trademark  Office (USPTO) and neem patent granted by European Patent Office (EPO).

(d)    The  TKDL  includes  India's  rich  traditional  knowledge  related  to  the  systems  of medicine from classical/ traditional books related to Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa as well as practices of Yoga. The information from the ancient texts of medicine and  health  existing  in  local  languages  such  as  Sanskrit,  Hindi,  Arabic,  Persian,  Urdu, Tamil, Bhoti, etc. have been digitized in five international languages, namely, English, French, German, Spanish and Japanese in the TKDL database as prior art.

A total of 404982 formulations including 117205 in Ayurveda, 233801 in Unani, 47210 in Siddha, 4070 in Yoga and 2696 in Sowa Rigpa have been transcribed so far into the TKDL database.

As per the extant approvals in place, the access of the database is given to patent offices world-wide that have signed non-disclosure access agreements with the CSIR. Fourteen patent offices including the Indian Patent Office (Controller General of Patents, Designs &  Trade  Marks),  European  Patent  Office,  US  Patent  Office,  Japanese  Patent  Office, German  Patent  Office,  Canadian  Patent  Office,  Chile  Patent  Office,  Australian  Patent Office, UK Patent Office, Malaysian Patent Office, Russian Patent Office,  Peru Patent Office, Spanish Patent & Trademark Office and Danish Patent & Trademark Office have been granted access to the TKDL database.

The CSIR-TKDL Unit also files third party  observations and pre-grant oppositions on patent applications related to our traditional knowledge based on the TKDL evidences. So  far,  245  patent  applications  have  been  either  withdrawn/deemed  withdrawn  or amended or set aside on the basis of TKDL evidence thus protecting Indian traditional knowledge.

(e)    TKDL  is  implemented  through  projects  under  CSIR.  The  amount  allocated  for TKDL during FY 2021-22 is ₹ 1141.350 lakh.

(f)  The protection of IPR is an in evitable part of the MoUs signed by Ministry of Ayush in  the  autonomous  bodies  (under  the  Ministry)  with  foreign  institutions.  The  CSIRTKDL  Unit, Delhi has signed a Non-Disclosure Agreement with the National Biodiversity Authority for evaluating and identifying modalities for possible inclusion of information from the PBR into the TKDL database.

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