Lok Sabha Question No. 4431 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-08-12
Subject: Traditional Knowledge
Ministry: AYURVEDA,YOGA & NATUROPATHY,UNANI,SIDDHA AND HOMEOPATHY (AYUSH)
Asked by: DEVJI MANSINGRAM PATEL

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

LOK  SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.4431 TO BE ANSWERED ON 12 TH AUGUST, 2016

## TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDG E DIGITAL LIBRARY

## 4431. SHRI DEVJI M. PATEL:

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

- (a) whether the Government has put in place Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) protect  ancient  and  traditional  knowledge  of  Indian  Me dicinal  System  and  heritage  of  the country;
- (b) if so, the salient features and the status of implementation thereof;
- (c) the total cost of the project and the expenditure incurred thereon;
- (d) the impact and benefits arising out of this project; and
- (e)  the  further  measures  being  taken  by  the  Government  to  protect  ancient  and  tradi knowledge of indigenous

## ANSWER

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

- (a)  &  (b): Yes,  the  Ministry  of  AYUSH  had  established  Traditional  Knowledge  Digital Library (TKDL) in collaboration with Council for Scientific & Industrial Research (CSIR A per the information pr ovided by the CSIR, TKDL consisting of more than 2.90 lakh medicinal formulations of Ayurveda, Unani and Siddha which are available in the public domain, in international languages namely English, Japanese, French, German and Spanish. To facilita e 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 are su bmitted on a regular basis.
- (c): As per the information provided by the CSIR, the implementing agency of the TKDL project, the total cost incurred on the project is Rs. 20 Crores approximately.

Contd……….

(d): As  per  the  information  received  from  CSIR,  till  date  TKDL  has  been  successful preventing the grant of wrong patents in 220 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): Apart  from  bio - piracy,  to  prevent  misappropriation  of  Yoga,  Ministry  of  AYUSH through  Sangeet  Natak  Akademi  (the  nodal  organization  of  Ministry  of  Culture)  has  f nomination  of  Yoga  at  UNESCO  to  inclu de  Yoga  in  the  representative  list  of  the  Intangible Cultural  Heritage  of  Humanity.  Indian  Patent  Office  had  also  brought  out  Guidelines processing  Patent  Applications  relating  to  Traditional  Knowledge  and  Biological  Materi help  Patent  examiner  to analyze  what  constitute  novelty  and  inventive  step  in  Tradition Knowledge (TK) related invention. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 also aims conservati biological resources, sustainable use of its components and fair and equitable sharing of fits arising out of the use of biological resources. Further, the Biological Diversity Act, 200 every local body to constitute a Biodiversity Management Committee (BMC) within its area w the  objective  to  prepare  People's  Biodiversity  Register in consultation with local people. The Register  shall  contain  comprehensive  information  on  availability  and  knowledge  of  l biological  resources,  their  medicinal  or  any  other  use  or  any  other  traditional  kn associated with them.

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