TKDL- Preserve our Medicinal Knowledge

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TKDL
    Everywhere people are wanting to protect, preserve feel proud about something about their traditions, knowledge. One such Indian effort to this end is TKDL

What is TKDL:

•Traditional Knowledge Digital Library
•Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR),
•Ministry of Science and Technology and
•Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, siddha, Unani, Homeopathy),
•Ministry of Health and Family Welfare are jointly implementing this project.

Why is it done?

•    Two Expatriate Indians in US file a patent for use of turmeric as a medicine for wound healing. But we very well know use of turmeric has been in India while cooking, medicinal usage since earlier times. So now CSIR of India puts up a fight and won the case in US patent office.
•    This is just one instance, we already know cases for use of Basmati rice, Neem products.
•    Government looked into reasons for such easy misappropriations and ended up identifying following factors:

•  Whenever request for patents are put up, examiners search for similar products which are already patented or registered uses.
•  Indian Traditional knowledge especially in the field of medicines are renowned worldwide.

            But difficulties:

• The knowledge is mostly inaccessible to common man
•  Even if accessible compiled in languages difficult to understand or interpret.

What does TKDL intend to do:
•    Convert the ancient knowledge into Unicode structure, knowledge based interpretation.
•    Compile in a single database.
•    Translate the information to English, Spanish, German, French for easy reference of the examiners.
•    Digitized form makes it easy for transmission, preservation.
•    Also to be complied in simpler terms for understanding of common man.
•    This model has inspired worldwide aping of  this method, which is likely to be initiated in WIPO with US patent office, EU patent office and similar other nations’ collaborations.