INDIGENOUS KNOWLEDGE AND OPEN SCIENCE IN INDIA: A CRITICAL ANALYSIS OF TENSIONS, SYNERGIES, AND POLICY PATHWAYS

Abstract

The Indian Indigenous knowledge (IK) dynamic (Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, folk medicine, farming, craft technologies and ecological management) is a huge and culturally embedded source of innovation, sustainability, and well-being of the community. At the same time, the Open Science movement across the world is striving to make research outputs (data, publications, software, infrastructure) more accessible, reusable and transparent. This paper looks at how the principle of Open Science comes into play with consideration of the protection, documentation and fair use of indigenous knowledge in India. The paper chart (policy documents, landmark biopiracy/patent cases, institutional initiatives) benefits (knowledge democratisation, improved research, community empowerment) and risks (misappropriation, loss of community control, mis-contextualization) as its focal points. Examples of pragmatic hybrids include the Indian Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) and national policies on data sharing, both of which aim to prevent biopiracy by defensive documentation and to open curated access to IK to allow legitimate research. I believe in a differentiated approach to Open Science a practice that is open by default and sensitive by design that incorporates community custodianship, tiered access, provenance and benefit-sharing practices. Certain policy and practice guidelines are provided to researchers, institutions and policymakers in order to strike a balance between openness and consideration of cultural rights and fair results.