Traditional Knowledge Studies and Communication

Brief Summary

The studies under the Traditional Knowledge Division aim to explore the contemporary relevance of our traditional knowledge system in the context of health, agriculture, environment, and various facets that are covered under the rubric of sustainability.

This Division is actively involved in creating a strong base for documenting; validating and communicating scientifically validated Indian traditional knowledge to the society. The CSIR initiative on “Communicating India’s Scientifically Validated Traditional Knowledge to the Society” branded as #SVASTIK (Scientifically Validated Societal Traditional Knowledge) is the key highlight of the Division. The Division also focuses on a strong societal outreach through conferences, workshops, lectures, exhibitions etc. to various stakeholders including school/college going children, teachers, academicians, science communicators and policymakers. The team also brings out Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge, a diamond open access peer reviewed monthly scholarly publication of CSIR-NIScPR.

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Data/ Statistics –

• No. of Projects completed: 02 GAP, 02 MLP, and 09 OLP
• No. of Projects ongoing: 01 GAP, 01 MLP, and 01 OLP
• No. of International Conferences: 02
• No. of National Workshops: 04
• No. of Regional Workshops: 01
• No. of Seminars/Webinars/Lectures: 16
• No. of Exhibitions: 24
• No. of Brainstorming meetings: 16
• Social Media reach/impressions: More than 30 Lakhs; 47.9 million in partnership with MyGov
• No. of PhD students: 04
• No. of Trainees: 05

Publications

No. of Publications: Books: 11; Papers: 12; Book Chapters: 09; Reports: 14; Popular Articles: 09

Selected Publications (in last 5 years)

Books

1. SVASTIK Stories: Indian Traditional Knowledge through the Lens of Science (Vol. I)
2. SVASTIK Stories: Indian Traditional Knowledge through the Lens of Science (Vol. II)
3. Communication and Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge- A Scientific Outlook (Vol. I)
4. Communication and Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge- A Scientific Outlook (Vol. II)
5. Treasure of Indian Traditions: A Journey through Scientifically Validated Indian Traditional Knowledge (Hindi, English, Tamil, and Punjabi)

Papers

1. Joseph A M, Sasi J M, Sharma D & Lata C (2026) Traditional Rice Farming in Wayanad Kerala: Insights into Varieties and Farmers’ Perspectives. International Jurnal of Plant and Envieronment, 12(1), 77-84. DOI: 10.18811/ijpen.v12i01.09
2. Lata C* (2025) Traditional Knowledge - From Protection to Promotion: A Perspective. Annals of Library and Information Studies, 72, 390-398. DOI: 10.56042/alis.v72i4.25668 [IF: 0.4]
3. Mehta N & Lata C* (2025) Traditional to Contemporary Uses of the Miraculous Herb Turmeric: A Narrative Review. Proceedings of the Indian National Science Academy, [IF: 2.1]
4. Kanungo P D & Lata C* (2025) A scientometric estimation of Ayurveda research publications during 2022-2024: A pilot study, Annals of Library and Information Studies (Accepted) [IF: 0.4].
5. Kanoujia D & Lata C* (2025) Exploring the potential of medicinal plants and herbal combinations for supplementation of vitamin D deficiency: a critical review. International Journal of Advances in Engineering Sciences & Applied Mathematics, 17, 293-310. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12572-025-00410-0 [IF 0.7]
6. Divya C, Paul Monalisa, Lata C*, Manikandan G & Ramasubbu R (2024) Ethnomedicinal survey of the Paliyar tribe: a case study of Kadamalaikundu, Theni District. International Journal of Anthropology and Ethnology, 8 (1), 1-28. https://doi.org/10.1186/s41257-024-00116-4
7. Kanungo P D, Lata C*, & Barman P (2024) Scientometric Representation of Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK), 2002-2022. Publishing Research Quarterly, DOI: 10.1007/s12109-024-09977-1 [IF: 1.70]
8. Suman Ray. 2023. Weaving the links: Traditional knowledge into modern science. Futures, Volume 145,103081,doi.org/10.1016/j.futures.2022.103081.
9. Ray S, Saini MK (2022) Impending threats to the plants with medicinal value in the Eastern Himalayas Region: An analysis on the alternatives to its non-availability. Phytomedicine Plus 2. Volume 2, Issue 1. 100151. doi.org/10.1016/j.phyplu.2021.100151
10. Suman Ray and Mahesh Kumar Saini (2021) Cure and prevention of cardiovascular diseases: herbs for heart. Clinical Phytoscience. 7:64. Doi: 10.1186/s40816-021-00294-0.

Teams Details

1. Dr Charu Lata, Principal Scientist – Head (E-mail: charulata.niscpr@csir.res.in)
2. Dr Suman Ray, Senior Principal Scientist
3. Dr Paramananda Barman, Senior Scientist
4. Dr Mushtaqeem Ahmad, Scientist
5. Shri Hashim Ali, Technical Officer

Other Details, if any

Ongoing Projects

1. MOEFCC Project [GAP000130]
   Research Grant amount: 32.4 Lakhs
   Title: The Importance of Traditional Wisdom: Environmental Consciousness in Vedic and other literature and its Relevance for Modern Climate Strategies
2. CSIR MLP Project [MLP002635]
   Research Grant amount: 318.73 Lakhs
   Title: Traditional Knowledge Communication: Bridging Tradition, Education, and Skills
3. CSIR OLP Project
   Research Grant amount: 25.6 Lakhs
   Title: Dissemination of India’s Scientifically Validated Traditional Knowledge & Developing a Validation Framework for Selected Domain(s)

Write to us at: svastik.niscpr@csir.res.in ; ijtk.niscpr@csir.res.in

Visit us at

Website: https://svastik.niscpr.res.in

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/niscprsvastik

Twitter: https://x.com/NIScPR_SVASTIK

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/niscpr_svastik

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/niscpr-svastik

The TK group aims to emerge as a leader in studies and communication and dissemination of Indian traditional knowledge at national and international level.