About Traditional Knowledge Digital Library:
- It is a unique initiative, established in 2001 by the Government of India through collaboration between CSIR and the Ministry of AYUSH.
- Objective: Its primary objective is to prevent the erroneous grant of patents on Indian traditional knowledge and to safeguard the country’s knowledge heritage from misappropriation.
- Features of Traditional Knowledge Digital Library
- It currently contains information on numerous formulations and practices drawn from Indian systems of medicine such as Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha and Sowa Rigpa, as well as Yoga, sourced from authoritative traditional texts.
- Under this initiative, knowledge from multiple languages and disciplines is translated, structured and linked with modern scientific and technical terminology.
- The database is available in five international languages—English, German, French, Japanese and Spanish.
- To this platform, access is provided to patent offices through Non-Disclosure Agreements.
- With the inclusion of INPI, Brazil, the number of patent offices worldwide with access to the TKDL rises to eighteen.
- The TKDL is widely regarded as a global benchmark for the defensive protection of traditional knowledge.
