How can partnerships between higher-education institutions and bodies like CSIR-TKDL put the NEP 2020 vision on Indian Knowledge Systems into practice?

NEP 2020 seeks to bring Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) into higher education. In October 2026, Nālandā University signed an MoU with CSIR-TKDL that cites NEP 2020 and the National IPR Policy 2016 [1]. It shows how such partnerships can move IKS from the curriculum into research, skills and legal protection.

How partnerships can put IKS into practice

• A ready research base: TKDL holds over 5.2 lakh formulations from Ayurveda, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and Yoga, matched to modern terms [1]. This gives universities checked material for research across disciplines.
• Access for students: In 2022 the Cabinet opened TKDL beyond patent offices to educational institutions, teachers and students [2]. IKS can now enter coursework and dissertations.
• IPR literacy and skills: The Nālandā MoU provides joint trainings, student internships and exchange visits on TK and IPR [1]. This matters because TKDL evidence has affected 375+ patent applications worldwide [1].
• Recording living heritage: Universities can record regional TK and Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs), such as Bihar's folklore, music and ecological knowledge [1]. The IGNCA–TKDL MoU already covers manuscripts and oral and audio-visual TCEs [3].
• Innovation and enterprise: Wider TKDL access aims to drive R&D in herbal healthcare, pharma and nutraceuticals [2]. This links campus research to start-ups.
• Global outreach: Nālandā is run under the MEA and linked to the East Asia Summit, so it can promote IKS abroad [1].

Safeguards for an ethical model

• Benefit-sharing: The biodiversity amendment frees users of "codified TK" from benefit-sharing but does not define the term. Communities risk being left out [4]. Partners should record who holds the knowledge, not just the knowledge itself.
• Community consultation: The 2024 WIPO Treaty encourages TK databases built in consultation with Indigenous Peoples and local communities [5].
• Controlled access: Publishing TCEs openly invites misuse. TKDL shares data with patent offices only under non-disclosure agreements [1], and academic sharing should follow that model.

Such partnerships can turn IKS from inherited heritage into knowledge that is researched, protected and put to use. The model should be extended to central and state universities, with community consent and clear benefit-sharing rules. That would deliver NEP 2020's vision, honour the Article 51A(f) duty to preserve our composite culture, and advance SDG 4 on quality education.