Traditional knowledge, Biopiracy, Cases of collision between TK and Patent system & Bioprospecting
Traditional Knowledge (TK): Traditional knowledge ( Indigenous knowledge or Local knowledge ) means knowledge that acquired over years and transferred from generation to generation within indigenous community. It is a living body of knowledge. It generally forms part of a people’s cultural and spiritual identity. Here traditional means not old or untechnical in nature. It reflects traditions of communities. It does not reflect nature of knowledge itself, but reflects the way in which that knowledge is created, preserved or disseminated. “ I had seen in childhood that my grandfather stored wheat grains, pulses in packet with neem twigs and neem seeds to avoid spoilage of grains during storage. Although, he had not a good scientific knowledge on neem. He learned this practice from his grandpa and he learnt from his grandpa and so on. This knowledge they adopted not from any book or document or institute, because 50-70 years ago nobody else was even educated in my village. They had verbal