AYUSH & NIF

TRADITIONAL KNOWLEDGE/LOCAL WISDOM Delhi February 25, 2015 Last Updated at 20:20 IST National Innovation Foundation (NIF) has built up a database of over 2,00,000 technological ideas, innovations and traditional knowledge, majority of which pertain to agricultural, veterinary or human use. The traditional knowledge documented at NIF is screened for its novelty and then validated with the help of State Agricultural Universities, Veterinary Universities, R&D institutions etc. NIF has an MoU with Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) and Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) to validate novel claims of herbal healers. For the practices found to be unique/novel, NIF also files patent in the name of knowledge holders. Besides, the CSIR has been playing an important role in protecting India's rich traditional knowledge in healthcare by creating a Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL). To document/protect traditional knowledge of the tribal people in the Country, Tribal Co-operative Marketing Development Federation of India Limited (TRIFED), Ministry of Tribal Affairs, has also made an effort to prepare briefs on the products/crafts practiced by them and their marketing. The Tribal Sub-Plan scheme of the Department of Science & Technology provides opportunities to motivated scientists, technologists and field level S&T organizations to take up action-oriented and location-specific projects aiming at socio-economic up-liftment of tribal population through appropriate technological interventions. To strengthen the capability of grassroots innovators, NIF has established thirty four (34) community workshops in rural areas in eighteen (18) states of the country at the premises of seasoned innovators so that other grassroots innovators of the region can have access to fabrication facilities and also learn from the experiences of such innovators. This information was given by the Minister of Science and Technology Dr. Harsh Vardhan in Lok Sabha today.