Integrating tribal knowledge systems: Key to make India a ‘knowledge superpower’

Why in News?

• Recently, President Droupadi Murmu addressed a National Workshop on ‘Janjatiya Anusandhan – Asmita, Astitva evam Vikas’, held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
• While addressing the workshop, she said that the knowledge of tribal communities needs to be included in the Indian Knowledge System (IKS).
• This knowledge of tribal communities will play an important role in making India a “knowledge superpower”.

 

Background of Tribal Knowledge Systems

• Over time, Indigenous peoples around the world have preserved distinctive understandings, rooted in cultural experience, that guide relations among human and other-than human beings in specific ecosystems.
• These understandings and relations constitute a system broadly identified as Indigenous knowledge, also called traditional knowledge or aboriginal knowledge.
  • Tribal knowledge system can be defined as a network of knowledges, beliefs, and traditions intended to preserve, communicate, and contextualize Indigenous relationships with culture and landscape over time.
• These knowledges are conveyed formally and informally among kin groups and communities through social encounters, oral traditions, ritual practices, and other activities.
• Inter-generational wisdom, contained in tribal knowledge systems, is passed on to the present times through centuries of experience and learnings. 

 

What are the steps taken by the govt to preserve/promote tribal knowledge system?

• Tribal Research Institutes (TRI) have been set up across the country with an objective to act as a think tank and become repository of information on tribal communities.
  • Under the scheme “Support to TRIs”, ministry provides funds to TRIs for undertaking studies and documentation on life and culture of tribal communities including tribes of North East.
  • Documentation for research of Indigenous practices by tribal healers, medicinal plants, Adivasi Languages, etc.
• Digital repository (https://repository.tribal.gov.in/) has been developed by Ministry of Tribal Affairs to preserve and promote rich tribal cultural heritage.
• Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) is a pioneering initiative of India to protect Indian traditional medicinal knowledge and prevent its misappropriation at International Patent Offices.
• The National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) is now pushing for the “re-documentation” of the cultures and social practices of tribal societies in India.
  • The existing scholarly literature is heavily reliant on the body of knowledge created by colonizing governments.

 

What is the significance of tribal knowledge system?

• Contemporary knowledge of nature
  • Due to continued closeness to forests, tribal knowledge system possesses rich knowledge of nature.
  • This knowledge can contribute to environmental assessments and sustainable ecosystem management.
    • For example, the sustainable production and consumption of indigenous and traditional food has invaluable benefits for natural resources and ecosystems.
    • It contributes to a sustainable and healthier diet, and helps mitigate climate change.
    • They know which plants to use to build houses, to make tools and weapons, for fuel, for lashing and tying, for basketry, for making temporary hammocks, for dyes, poisons, body paints, perfumes, hallucinogenic drugs and more
• Contribution to Modern Medicine
  • From centuries Indigenous people have been using several plants for combating disease which have found wide acceptance in traditional medicinal use.
    • Eg., Plants like Bauhinia purpurea, Jatropha curcus, etc. are conserved as used in muscular pain, cure of fever, headache, and body swelling.
• Conservational aspect
  • The ethnic people of India have played a vital role in preserving bio-diversity of several virgin forests and have conserved several flora and fauna in sacred groves of tribals.
  • Tribals are experts in animal behavior.
• Disaster reduction
  • Traditional knowledge had helped to save ancient tribes on India's Andaman and Nicobar Islands from the worst of the tsunami in 2004.
    • Their folklore talks of huge shaking of ground followed by high wall of water.
    • When the earthquakes struck, the Onges moved to higher ground deep
      inside their forest and escaped the fury of the waves.
• Promotion of integrated learning
  • Tribal knowledge systems are stored in songs, stories, drama, folklores etc. Hence, it promotes integrated learning for the community.
  • Due to their mode, these knowledge systems are non-exclusionary and marked by equity. 
• Remarkable Sex ratio
  • They have the remarkable sex ratio and almost nil rape cases in there society.

 

What is Indian Knowledge System (IKS)?

• The IKS is an innovative cell under the Ministry of Education at All India Council for Technical Education (AICTE), New Delhi. It was established in Oct. 2020.
• It is established to promote interdisciplinary research on all aspects of IKS, preserve and disseminate IKS for further research and societal applications.
• It will actively engage in spreading the rich heritage of our country and traditional knowledge in different field.

 

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Q1) What do you mean by bioprospecting?

Bioprospecting is defined as a systematic and organized search for useful products derived from bioresources including plants, microorganisms, animals, etc., that can be developed further for commercialization and overall benefits of the society.

 

Q2) Who can access Traditional Knowledge Digital Library?

The access to the TKDL database would be through a paid subscription model with a phase-wise opening to national and international users.

 

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Source: Integrating tribal knowledge systems is key to making India a ‘knowledge superpower’, says President Droupadi Murmu