UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Traditional Medicinal Knowledge

Q1. Among the Indian systems of medicine documented in the Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL), which system accounts for the single largest number of transcribed formulations?

• A. Ayurveda
• B. Unani
• C. Siddha
• D. Sowa-Rigpa

Q2. The Traditional Knowledge Digital Library was set up in 2001 by the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research jointly with which body?

• A. The Ministry of Ayush
• B. The then Department of Indian Systems of Medicine & Homeopathy
• C. The National Medicinal Plants Board
• D. The Ministry of Health and Family Welfare

Q3. Following the signing of the TKDL Access Agreement with INPI Brazil, what is the total number of patent offices worldwide that have access to the TKDL database?

• A. 16
• B. 17
• C. 18
• D. 20

Q4. Which of the following best describes the WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre (GTMC) at Jamnagar?

• A. A global centre established by WHO to harness the potential of traditional medicine through modern science and technology
• B. A WHO regional office responsible for health programmes across the South-East Asia Region
• C. An Indian statutory commission that lays down pharmacopoeial standards for AYUSH drugs
• D. A treaty body that administers access and benefit-sharing for genetic resources

Q5. The WHO Global Traditional Medicine Centre at Jamnagar holds which distinction within the WHO's global architecture?

• A. It is the world's first and only WHO global centre for traditional medicine
• B. It is WHO's largest regional office by staff strength
• C. It is the first WHO collaborating centre to be set up in India
• D. It is WHO's first global centre dedicated to digital health

Q6. Consider the following statements about the biopiracy patent disputes that prompted the creation of the TKDL. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. The patent on the wound-healing property of turmeric was granted by the USPTO and was revoked in 1997.
2. The patent on the fungicidal properties of neem oil was granted by the European Patent Office.
3. The basmati rice patent dispute involved the United States patent system.
4. The neem oil patent was finally revoked in 1995.

• A. 1 and 2
• B. 2 and 3
• C. 4 only
• D. 3 and 4

Q7. The patent on the wound-healing use of turmeric, later challenged by CSIR on grounds of prior art, had been granted by which patent office?

• A. The United States Patent and Trademark Office
• B. The European Patent Office
• C. The United Kingdom Intellectual Property Office
• D. The Japan Patent Office

Q8. Which of the following systems was the most recent to be formally brought into the AYUSH fold, beyond those denoted by the original acronym?

• A. Unani
• B. Siddha
• C. Sowa-Rigpa
• D. Homoeopathy

Q9. Consider the following statements about the access and benefit-sharing framework relevant to traditional knowledge in India. Which of the above is/are NOT correct?

1. The National Biodiversity Authority operates at the national level.
2. State Biodiversity Boards operate at the State level.
3. Biodiversity Management Committees operate at the local-body level.
4. The Nagoya Protocol is an instrument adopted under the World Trade Organization.

• A. 1 and 3
• B. 2 and 4
• C. 4 only
• D. 3 only

Q10. Which of the following was the official theme of the International Day of Yoga 2025, India's flagship soft-power observance for traditional wellness?

• A. Yoga for One Earth, One Health
• B. Yoga for Humanity
• C. Yoga for Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam
• D. Yoga for Self and Society

Q11. With reference to Sowa-Rigpa in comparison with other recognised Indian systems of medicine, consider the following statements. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. Sowa-Rigpa is a Himalayan/Tibetan-origin system of medicine practised in regions such as Ladakh, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim.
2. Like Ayurvedic and Unani drugs, the manufacture for sale of Sowa-Rigpa drugs is regulated under the Drugs and Cosmetics Act, 1940.
3. The National Institute of Sowa-Rigpa is located at Leh.

• A. 1 only
• B. 1 and 2 only
• C. 2 and 3 only
• D. 1, 2 and 3