CHAPTER 4 :Indigenous Technical Knowledge In Prominent Tribal Groups

of India & Their Case Studies

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Sr. No. Table of Content

4.1 Introduction

4.2 Understanding Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK)

4.3 MTK Versus ITK

● A Case of Clash

4.4 Indigenous Technical Knowledge In The Indian Context

4.4.1 India’s Rich History of Agricultural Practices
4.4.2 ITK on Agricultural Practices

4.5 Case Study of Major Tribes In India & Their ITK

4.5.1 Abujh Marias
4.5.2 Todas
4.5.3 Baiga
4.5.4 Hill Korwa
4.5.5 Bodo
4.5.6 Bhil

4.6 Need for documenting ITK

● Bio-piracy of Indian Indigeneous Products

4.7 Wrapping up
4.1 Introduction
Indigeneous communities primarily live in clusters (also referred to as ‘Tribal Hamlets’ or
‘Adivasi Padas’) located in remote forest or hilly areas. These region remain devoid of any
external intervention. The major occupation of the people residing in these regions entails
engaging in activities such as hunting, fishing, horrticulture, basket making, weaving, iron smith,
to name a few. India is home to several indigenous cultures, the majority of which have their
own set of distinct traditional knowledge and technology base.

Indigeneous Technical Knowledge (ITK) remains imperative in the indian context as it not
only forms the basis for local level-decision making but also supports self-sufficiency while
promoting socio-economic development for different communities at the same time. However, in
present times, there is a need to take immediate action to document and preserve Indigenous
Technical Knowledge (ITK) due to a lack of systematic records in place around the knowledge
domain.

4.2 .Understanding Indigenous Technical Knowledge (ITK)

In 2012, the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
defined indigenous or local knowledge under its Local and Indigenous Knowledge Systems
(LINKS) initiative as :-

“A set of cumulative and complex bodies of knowledge, know-how, practices, and

representations that are maintained and developed by indigeneous local communities who have
had a long history of interaction with their natural environment”.

The domain of Indigenous Technical Knowledge is an ocean, vast, deep & diverse. Technical
knowledge being at the heart of the discipline refers to specialised skills or expertise required to
perform tasks using specific tools.

Twining the term with indigenous, ITK can be described as a system of knowledge that focuses
on using skills acquired through traditional wisdom on real world stage. Such knowledge is
held collectively by people of a community and this wisdom is then passed down through
generations as collective memory via. non-institutional means.

Moreover, this knowledge system remains embedded in a community's way of life as an

imminent means of survival. Forming a critical part for many grassroot initiatives, ITK is
inherently used for purposes ranging from natural resource management, agriculture, medicine to
other socioeconomic development and thus it instigates the process of innovation. ITK is
significant in many sustainable grassroots inventions that provide significant substitutes for
many contemporary systems and approaches.

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4.3. MTK Versus ITK

Modern Technical knowledge (MTK) systems are generated by universities, research

institutions and private firms. They generally focus on innovations that have been done in recent
years and other ongoing knowledge system methodologies and their various applications. In
contrast, Indigeneous Technical Knowledge (ITK) is the product of centuries and refers to a
corpus of actual or local knowledge of people unique to a particular culture or society. In other
words, ITK is based on a community’s cultural tradition or experience that has been accumulated
since times immemorial.

While MTKs can be easily located in archives and systems, a unique feature of ITK is it usually
unwritten. This particular knowledge usually gets transmitted by the means of oral
communication and makes up totality of a culture or society's unique experiences.

4.3.1 A Case of Clash

All in all, there seems to be a disharmony between contemporary and Indigeneous

knowledge. The former has undermined the immense value possessed by the latter.
Contemporary Knowledge has ignored the potential that the Indigeneous knowledge can add to
it. As a result,contemporary innovators promote and adopted such practices which brought
drastic benefits but also caused changes that were exploitative in the longer run especially for the
tribes.

In current times, there is an increased dependency and utilisation of automated systems and
chemicals (such as fertilizers and pesticides) resulting in various counterproductive outcomes
such as loss of soil and water resource, increase in desert and climate disturbances, natural
disasters, environmental damage, and tremendous fuel wood shortages.

This predicament can be resolved by integrating traditional know-hows into modern

knowledge system to come up with need-based solutions as demanded by the present condition.
Therefore, this report aims to put an emphasis on traditional wisdom and Indigeneous
Technical Knowledge such that it can be saved from possibility of disappearance and their values
can be passed down to the coming generation.

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4.4. Indigeneous Technical Knowledge In The Indian Context

India is one of the world's most densely populated countries, with an average of 464 persons
reside per square kilometer (Worldometer: India Population, 2022). As far as the Indigeneous
Technical knowledge (ITK) is concerned, the country is regarded as one of the richest which can
be attributed to the range of multiplicity of culture, plethora of ethinic communities, host of
values, and the expansive history found in the region.

Tracing the earliest form of economic activity in India, agriculture played a significant role and
India is primarily considered an agro-based economy even today which shows the crucial
role of agriculture in the Indian Economy. Providing employment to over 54.6% of the
population, this sector contributes roughly around 17% of the total GDP. Agriculture remains the
primary source of livelihood in which more than 70 percent of the rural households are directly
engaged with 82 percent of farmers being still paltry and marginalised.
4.4.1 India’s Rich History of Agricultural Practices

The oldest evidence of agrarian activity is reported to have been discovered at Mehrgarh,
Balochistan (present-day Pakistan), and is thought to have predated even the Indus Valley
Civilization. The primary activities included in the sector covers a plethora of activities ranging
from farming, forestry, hunting, gathering, fishing, rearing of livestocks, to name a few. The
Kṛṣiḥ Pārāśaraḥ (400 BC) is an ancient text in which the art of practising agricultural activities
can be traced. The source elaborate details regarding successful ploughing methods, cattle care,
and best harvest practices.

Other sources on agriculture includes the Vrikshayurveda (The Science of Plant Life) by
Surapala (1000 AD), Nushka Dar Fanni-Falahat (The Art of Agriculture), a Persian manuscript
by Dara Shikoh (1650 AD), Kashyapiyakrishisukti (A Treatise on Agriculture) by Kashyapa (800
AD), and Vishvavallabha (Dear to the World: The Science of Plant Life) which are texts from
ancient and mediaeval times that discusses the heritage of efficient agricultural practices in
the Indian Subcontinent.

For millennia, the Indian subcontinent has constituted a distinctive geographic entity. The region
is well-known for providing food security to its expansive population. Ever so often,
unforeseeable calamities such as floods caused by excessive rainfall and famines occurring in
small pockets owing to drought have frequently impacted the country in a variety of pernicious
ways. These calamitlies have resulted in displacement of large population, destruction of
agricultural lands, and loss of livelihood among several others.

Nonetheless, traditional knowledge passed down through centuries has assisted people living in
the region to overcome a number of such obstacles. Not only has the experiential knowledge
aided those working in the agriculture sector, but it has also provided vital ideas on sustainable
approaches applicable to other sector.
 ITK on Agricultural Practices

To promote modern agriculture, farmers' knowledge skills and survival strategies have frequently
been overlooked (Rizwana and Lyajet 2011). Farmers' use of indigenous traditional knowledge has
scientific justification and a high significance for agricultural production and sustainability.
Indigenous knowledge has been determined to be socially desired, economically viable,
inexpensive, and sustainable, with minimal risk for rural farmers and producers.

The failure of modern chemical farming to provide prosperity to agricultural communities; increased
pest attack on crops, deterioration of soil and water resources, and costs to human and animal health
have compelled scientists to investigate whether traditional farming practices have any answers to
modern agriculture's problems.

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4.5 Case Study of Major Tribes In India & Their ITK

The PVTGs share distinct culture, ancestors, beliefs, customs, and traditions. The population is
known to first inhabit the lands. PVTGs share some basic characteristics, most being
homogenous, with a small population, relatively physically isolated. They make use of relatively
simple technology and in most cases have an absence of written language.

The use of knowledge systems is widely regarded as a simple and cost-effective solution for
providing safety and well-being to all lifeforms in the society. However, the technique used may
differ across regions and communities.

Each indigenous community possesses a distinctive expertise within a certain area in which
their sustaining activities are constrained, and this vast body of folk knowledge clearly reflects a
scientific foundation that may be referred to as ethno-science.
This report intends to cove Indigeneous Technical knowledge within the ethno-scientific domain
found over some of the most prominent tribal groups in india and hence deliver case studies
on different tribes for the same.

Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs)

Indians makes up a diverse and culturally mixed population. Attributable to its vast geographical
range and expansive cultural history, the migrant and the native population coexist together in
harmony. The Scheduled Tribes (ST) constitute 8.6% of India's overall population. As per Census
2011, there are a total of 75 PVTGs out of 705 Scheduled Tribes, spread over 17 states and one
Union Territory (UT).

The Scheduled Tribes by any means are not a homogeneous group;, although some sub-groups
have chosen to remain isolated. In 1973, the Dhebar Commission created Primitive Tribal Groups
(PTGs) as a separate category. In 2006, the Government of India renamed them as Particularly
Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs). One of the primary issues faced by PVTGs in India grounds
for a dearth of data on the population.

The plight persists of some PVTGs not even getting recognized as STs. Therefore, efforts should be
oriented not just at protecting tribal populations by guaranteeing access to appropriate safeguard
measures, but also at preserving their legacy, culture, language, art, customs, knowledge and
sensibilities.

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4.5.1 Abujh Marias

The Abujh Maria, also known as the Hill Mariai, is a tribal community in Chhattisgarh that is
one of the state's Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups. This community is mostly concentrated
in the Abujh-marh hills, which are located in the northwestern part of Chhattisgarh's Bastar
district (undivided). The district's Abujh-marh region contains 3900 kilometres of rugged
terrain. As per the Census conducted in 1981, the population of Abujh Maria is approximately
made up of 19250 people (Sarkar and Dasgupta, 2000).

The tribe in the region is organised into a number of kata (clan-like social units).The tribe is
said to be of the Proto-Australoid group, and their dialect is of the Dravidian family. They are
generally known for speaking Gondi. The tribe usually introduces itself or desires to be
introduced as Metakoitor. The prefix meta means ‘hills,’ while the term Koitor is the general
name for all Gond people.

Metakoitor Versus Dorkoitor

Generally the Koitor (Tribes) are of two types in the Bastar region — the Metakoitor and the
Dorkoitor. People who live in hilly areas or on meta Bhum (land) are known as Metakoitor,
whereas those who dwell on the plains or low land are known as Dorkoitor.

4.5.1.1 Penda Kheti

The Abujh Marias are shifting hill growers. They cultivate crops using the Penda Kheti, or slash
and burn technique. Slash and burn farming is a well-defined agricultural system that entails
slashing and burning existing trees, bushes, and other flora to clear land and prepare it for
agriculture. Slash and burn farming benefits the earth by restoring soil nutrients through the
burning process. Slash-and-burn agriculture has certain advantages for indigenous populations
since it is simple to manage and requires no specific inputs or instruments.

Till date Penda remains the most preferred type of cultivation and has been practised by tribes as
their primary source of earning. As the tribe inhabits the hilly terrain, Penda Kheti serves as
the most suitable process of cultivation. Some of the major cereals produced using this farming
technique include varieties of millets like Kolha, Kosra etc.
4.5.1.2 Practice of Thrashing

The Abujh Marias undertake a pre-sowing ceremony known as Miching in their Penda field
during the months of Soan or Hagh (July-August), right before the airing of Kohla Nuka (a
variety of Kosra or millet). Following that, in the month of Fagun, they thrash their collected
crops (February - March).

When the harvested crop gets dry, the community performs the thrashing process. When crops
and grains are harvested, they are wet and are not threshed right away. It is dried out on the open
field. When this dries up, threshing gets simpler. As a result, they leave the harvested crop and
grain in the field till Holi is over.

4.5.1.3 Phool Jhadu Making

The Abujh Maria community is also involved in the making of Phool Jhadu or Straw Broom.
These can otherwise be also made from a wide variety of other materials, such as grasses, reeds,
date palm and coconut leaves. The main purpose of this type of broom is its use for cleaning
dust from dry floors in both indoor and outdoor spaces.

Broom grass is a key source of income for subsistence groups like the Abujh Maria,
particularly for the women who harvest it to make and sell as brooms. Phool Jhadu is sold in
local communities, allowing tribes to earn money to buy salt, clothing, and other necessities.

4.5.1.4 Mahua (Heritage Liquor)

Madhuca longifolia or Mahua is an Indian tropical tree that is grown abundantly in the Bastar
region. The flowers extracted from the tree are rich source of natural sugars and hence are are
deliberately fermented for liquor production by the community. The liquor produced has been
branded by The Government of Madhya Pradesh as ‘heritage liquor.’

Other products produced from the extracts of the tree include vegetable butter, medicinal
extracts, syrups, and purees to name a few. Also, they prepare some sweet dishes from this
flower. The seed of mahua flower, locally known as Dorior Tora is also an easily available
item. It is often used as cooking media, to light lamps and also to massage the body and head.
4.5.1.5 Salfi (Organic Beer)

Like Mahua, Salfi or Sulphi is another substance that is known for its intoxicating properties. A
regional variety of the palm tree, the salfi (Caryota Urens) is a symbol of prosperity in the
region of Bastar. The sap from the tree is collected using a mutka container (earthen pot).

The sap extraction process is still an example of industrious rural practices. The process of
harvesting sap entails the use of using a Machete (also known as a Haasiya in the region) to
make a cut on a tree branch. This permits the sap to flow into vessel.

The yeast in the air then begins to ferment the sap as soon as it begins to flow from a severed
branch. Residual yeast in the bottom of the sap llection containers further accelerates the process.
Salfi, which is white in colour, tastes similar to coconut water but is less sweet and has a
moderate, sour and bitter punch towards the end. The product has a unique position among tribes
and remains important to the communities' way of life.
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4.5.2 Todas

Todas are a pastoral clan with Dravidian origins. They are most commonly found in isolated
high-altitude regions of Nilgiri Hills located in Southern India. The region forms as an imminent
part of the Western Ghats and was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 2012
for its unique ecological and floral richness.

The tribe seeks to strike a balance between traditional crafts and practices and modern life. The
Tribe is said to be the oldest and most culturally distinct.

The plight of the community involves their grazing area being increasingly owing to foreign
intervention of non-natives and forestation by the Tamil Nadu State Government. This has
consequently damaged the tribe’s culture.

Nonetheless, in the recent decade, both Toda society and culture have also become the focus of
worldwide initiatives at culturally sensitive environmental rehabilitation.
4.5.2.1 Embroidery Work

The Toda culture is built on a symbiotic interaction with their natural surroundings. This
appreciation for the natural environment pervades all aspects of Toda culture, including their
craftsmanship and artwork.

It is said that as the Toda men tended to the buffaloes, the Toda women undertook exquisite
embroidery work ( locally known as Pukhoor) on the Puthkuli Shawls worn by both genders.
The red-and-black embroidered work is done on a white fabric and depicts a range of themes
inspired by their pastoral lifestyle and surroundings.

The Todas possess land and are well-off financially. Toda women usually undertake their
embroidery work at the comfort of their homes, when they have leisure time between their
domestic responsibilities and commitments.

The reverse stitch method is executed to perform the embroidery work. While stiching a slight
amount of tuft is purposefully allowed to protrude throughout the needle stitching process to
bring off the rich texture in the embroidered cloth.

Toda embroidery has become globally popular and recognised over the past century as a result
of increased interaction with the outside world.

To safeguard their intellectual property, the embroidered work was designated as a

geographically distinct product and is protected under the Government of India's Geographical
Indications of Goods Act (GI Act), 1999.

4.5.2.2 Agricultural Practices

The Todas are primarily a pastoral community. They are widley known to be involved in cattle
rearing among other agricultural practices.

Besides raising buffaloes, the tribe has also started investing their time in agriculture and have
transformed many munds (settlements) into agricultural fields.
Some of the agricultural practices undertaken by the community involve pest control, soil
enrichment, foodgrain storage, and fermenting process. For instance, the Toda farmers are
known to spray a mixture of ash and cattle urine on crops to control pest infests.

Other instance is feeding fermented wheat flour or fermented banana to cattles such as buffalos.
This provides energy to those cattles who have become weak and anemic.
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4.5.3 Baigas

Madhya Pradesh, popularly known as the Heart of India, and its neighbouring state of
Chhattisgarh are both located in the centre of India. The PVTGs residing in the region are noted
for their rich traditions, cultures, and histories, as well as their distinct lifestyles and customs.
The Baigas are indigenous people residing in both of these states.

Known for its rich cultural heritage, the community call themselves as ‘the son of the soil’
(Sahu,1998) and still retains certain traditional customs in most original forms. Nonetheless,
earlier known for their nomadic practices, the tribal group has seemed to have settled at par
with other tribes in the plains over decades. The Baiga is a hunter, food gatherer, and Bewar
(shifting) cultivator tribe.

4.5.3.1 Bewar Kheti

Bewar or Donger Kheti, (a local term for bewar practice; literally means cultivation on hill
slope) is a traditional shifting agriculture method practised by the Baiga population in the
uplands. Up to 12 crops can be cultivated simultaneously in this system of natural farming. The
Baigas produce staple grains such as millets, grains, and beans in addition to foraged fruit,
tubers, and other forest products.

Today however, with the passage of time and the push toward high-yield crop types, the ancient
practices and expertise of the Baigas are today increasingly getting abandoned. This has, in
turn, resulted in widespread poverty and malnourishment among the tribe.
4.5.3.2 Fencing Technique

On farms, fencing is frequently used to assist control cattle. The barrier can keep them from
leaving the farm. Fencing, therefore, is used to keep out creatures that may consume or harm
crops on farms that raise vegetables.

The Technique of fencing is widely seen in the community’s Bari (homestead garden). Some of
the well-known fencing techniques practiced by Baigas include

Khunta (pillar) fencing, Ada and Benda rundhai (cut bush horizontal fencing), and Katbalang
Rundhai which is a fencing technique that uses long sizable green or dry wood horizontally
placed over in series of two forked branch at the height of 3 or 4 feet.

4.5.3.3 Craftsmanship For Domestic Goods

The Baiga is a skilled basket maker. She plaits a variety of bamboo baskets for domestic use.
Her bamboo workmanship includes the Khudsa (a large cylindrical grain basket), Mora, Gundri,
Dhonti, Khirnaha, Pasine, Churki, and Sarki.

Similarly, Baiga expertise and methods in rope extraction, Phool Jhadu (broom) making,
Kakai making (wooden comb), Khomrakhumri (bamboo craft leaf plaited rain cover), and
mat manufacturing are in high demand today.

4.5.3.4 Oil Extraction & Tool Making

The wood carving on the doors is another practice done by the Baiga, who are considered
semi-skilled carpenter. Furthermore, although artisanal knowledge of the Baiga is limited.
However, a blacksmith family in a designated hamlet provides iron work, agricultural tools,
and implements to the village population.
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4.5.4 Hill Korwas

The Korvas live in the hilly terrain of Chhattisgharh's Korba district. Because of their long
relationship with the forest environment, the tribe has established folk knowledge with scientific
explanations that assist them throughout their disease where many types of indigenous herbs,
plants, tubers, and roots to name a few.

Due to the varied socio-cultural and geographical environment and its parameters, the diverse
tribal world, these tribes can be widely found in the Raigarsh, Jashpur, Korba, Sarguja, and
Bilaspur district of present-day Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh.

4.5.4.1 Hadia, Ranu, & Mahua

Hill- Korwas are known for using ethno-medico-botanical knowledge to make products that
imbibe medicinal qualities. Mosly, the tribe makes a drink most popularly known as Hadia
which is prepared from the flour of rice, Gondly or marua. To the boil paste of these two crops is
added ‘ranu’ which produces fermentation.

Ranu is medicinal product prepared from some roots and is available in market. From
Mahua flowers liquor is also prepared but the HillKorwas prefer hadia to liquor. Within 3 to 4
days it is ready and is used after mixing required quantity of water
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4.5.5 Bodo

The Bodo tribes of Assam are one of the largest ethnic tribal groups in North-East India.
Kachari, Swarg-Aroi, Basumati-Aroi, Mahalia-Aroi,Hajo-Aroi, is one of the tribe's many
sub-branches. The members of the group were known to be the first settlers in Assam who
cultivated rice and reared silkworms.

The Bodo ancestors were endowed with extensive traditional knowledge and custom. The
forefathers of the tibe created ancient ways and techniques are still being introduced throughout
generations. Most common ones consists of fishery related activities and water management
systems.
4.5.5.1 Fish preservation

The Bodo tribe relies on fish for socioeconomic development. Bodo people eat fish as a
delicious and medicinal diet. They consume fish in many forms. The tribe have some ethnic
beliefs about fish beleiving it having medicinal properties for various maladies.

One of the numerous traditional ways used by the community is fish preservation and
fermentation. Nafam is a popular preserved fish food from North East India.

Nafam, where Na means fish and Fam means securely preserved or constructed in cylinder of
bamboo without giving any passage to air flow for a long period, is a popular Bodo tribe fish
preservation technique. It involves preserving sun dried fish.

4.5.5.2 Dong Canals

Dong is a decades-old traditional water management method used to move river water into
communities by the Bodo population in rural Assam. Around 250,000 inhabitants in the
Bhabar-Terai region (in the Himalayan foothills) do not get access to adequate water for
drinking and agriculture. This comes as a result of hydro -geological factors.

The geology of the region is a heterogeneous mixture of boulders, pebbles, and cobbles, with
sand and silt filling the interstitial spaces. These sediments generally have
high permeability and a low retentive capacity. As a result, the streams in this region have no
apparent surface flow, yet there is evidence of subsurface movement.

The inhabitants therefore use traditional buildings to regulate water from existing rivers.
These constructions assisted the locals in diverting water from rivers and storing it in
neighbouring places. As a consequence, water storage was assured throughout the year.

Dong therefore is a process that comprises diverting river water so that it flows towards the
communities via clay channels. The diverted water is held in ponds known as Pukhuri. Water is
sometimes immediately lifted from clay canal for irrigation.
4.5.5.3 Canal Management

The tribe has also employed several indigenous engineering skills to keep the canals flowing.
When mountain rivers flow onto the plains, they are collected in these canals, and convex dams
are built to control the flow of water in the canals.

The dams are constructed w`ith the help of tree branches, stones, and rocks. The construction
contributes to raising the water level at the feeding point.

This consequently guarantees that there is enough water in the canals. The main canal is divided
into several sub-canals known as Shakhas and Prakhashas.

The flow of water into these sub-canals from the main canal has a set timing, which is usually
done twice a day by the local municipalities in control of the canals.
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4.5.6 Bhil

Bhil is numerically one of the most dominant adivasi (tribal) community in india. The tribe
inhabits ubstantial area of Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

The Bhil culture is intrinsically tied to the forest. They get their basic survival needs from their
host, including as food (leaves, fruits, nuts, underground plant parts, etc.), fuel for cooking, tiber
for shelter, and a variety of other useful forest goods.

As a result of their varied cultural activities, beliefs, and practises, they safeguard the forest
while simultaneously enriching its fertility.

The woodlands not only supply livelihood to them but they also provide them with a social
bonding and a culture reminiscent of their forefathers. Although not many significant
practices can be tranced in the community related to art or craft, but some of the major practices
by the people have been mentioned below.
4.5.6.1 Veterinary Practice

The Bhil tribe is well-known for having a long, continuous, and sophisticated indigenous healing
history. In contrast to many other adivasi hinterlands in India, there are no adivasi medicine men
who specialise in veterinary health care.

Barwas are the adivasi medicinemen. They provide treatment for both humans and animals. It is
well known that the Oraons of Bihar's Chotanagpur area have several specialised veterinary
Vaidyas in addition to those who treat both humans and animals.

4.5.6.2 Archery & Mapping

The Bhil are known for being excellent archers who are well-versed in their environment and
topography. Eklavya, the archer prodigy immortalised for chopping off his right hand's thumb
as Guru dakshina to Dronacharya, is reversing the community.

As a gesture of reverence for their ancestor Eklavya and as a symbolic protest against
Dronacharya and Arjun, tribal archers never use their thumbs while shooting an arrow.
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4.6. Need For Documenting ITK

Documenting tribal technical knowledge has become essential in order to maintain its
sovereignty and prevent it from being exploited in the patenting of non-original ideas. The
inheritors of that knowledge do not get any benefits from it, but others who use that knowledge
for personal financial gain do.

Therefore, once documented, it may be more easily traceable as previous art for determining
the uniqueness of ideas based on resources in India and across the world.

Traditional knowledge and its link to the formal IP system have now surfaced as a major issue
in international debates on biological diversity conservation, international commerce, and
intellectual property rights, particularly the TRIPS Agreement.
Bio-Piracy of Indian Indigeneous Products

Biopiracy is not a legal concept, but rather a socio-political device in which indigenous people, their
traditional knowledge, and biological resources are unlawfully utilised by firms or academics who then
claim intellectual property rights over products derived from the knowledge.

As per a research conducted by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) in 2000, seven
medicinal plants of Indian provenance accounted for 80% of all medical patents issued in the United
States and the United Kingdom.

One such example is the legal dispute over the Neem and Haldi patent rights.

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4.7 Wrapping Up

Tribals are an important element of Indian civilization and have a rich cultural legacy. Humans
in general, and tribals in particular, rely on nature to provide their basic needs.

The tribals see their habitat and ecosystem as a source of food and shelter. Because they are born
and raised in the woods, their lifelong and transgenerational relationship with nature is
incorporated in the indigenous knowledge system.

Indigenous knowledge, also known as traditional knowledge or traditional ecological knowledge,

is the cumulative and collective body of information and belief passed down through generations
through cultural transmission.

ITK is considered an imminent extension system, entailing the process of natural resources
management. However, in present times, due to an increase in the use of modern practices,
traditional wisdom is in the process of decline. Thus research in ITK has become all the way
more critical for us to undertake.
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