BRIC-IBSD’s Imphal lecture examined how indigenous knowledge, biodiversity, traditional agriculture and modern science can contribute to the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision.
Imphal, Sept. 28: The Institute of Bioresources and Sustainable Development (IBSD), Imphal, a constituent institute of the Biotechnology Research and Innovation Council (BRIC), organised a Societal Development Lecture on “Indigenous Knowledge Systems and Viksit Bharat 2047” at the BRIC-IBSD Campus, Takyel, Imphal West, on Monday.
The lecture examined the relevance of India’s indigenous knowledge traditions to the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, with discussions covering biodiversity conservation, medicinal plants, agriculture, sustainable resource management and the integration of traditional knowledge with modern scientific research.
Dr. Joram Aniya, Member, NITI Aayog, stressed the need to understand, preserve and carry forward indigenous knowledge systems as lifestyles and communities undergo rapid change.
She said a large section of society remains connected with indigenous ways of life through villages and communities, adding that the challenge is to ensure that knowledge accumulated over generations is not lost but remains relevant to future generations.
According to Aniya, indigenous knowledge has a close relationship with nature, with traditional communities observing changes in the natural environment to guide agricultural activities. Recalling her own experience, she said her mother and other villagers would observe the blooming of flowers, the appearance of fruits and changes in weather to determine the appropriate time for sowing crops.
She said such practices reflected an understanding of natural cycles developed through generations of interaction with the environment.
Traditional communities, Aniya said, not only adapted their activities to nature but also understood the need to minimise environmental damage. However, changing lifestyles and increasing dependence on modern systems have gradually led to the decline of several traditional practices.
Referring to traditional agricultural resource-management systems, including methods of bringing water from the hills, she said researchers should explore whether such systems can be scientifically improved and modernised instead of being abandoned.
Aniya cited the traditional agricultural system of the Apatani community in Ziro, Arunachal Pradesh, as an example of how indigenous practices can combine agriculture, biodiversity and culture.
In the system, paddy cultivation is integrated with fish farming, while crops such as millet or ragi are grown on the bunds separating the fields. She said the traditional fields, seasonal flowers and surrounding greenery have created a distinctive landscape where agriculture, biodiversity and culture coexist.
The landscape has also become a tourism attraction, particularly with the emergence of the Ziro Music Festival. Modern tourism activities have developed around the existing agricultural environment, with visitors staying in tents and experiencing the paddy fields, natural surroundings and seasonal flowers.
Aniya said the example showed how traditional agriculture, fish farming, biodiversity and tourism could be brought together while retaining the cultural character of the landscape.
She also highlighted the role of Apatani women in maintaining the traditional agricultural system. Maintaining the bunds of the paddy fields requires considerable physical labour, while the system itself depends on these structures.
With younger generations increasingly moving towards education and employment outside villages, Aniya raised the question of how such systems can be maintained when traditional labour becomes less available.
She called for researchers to explore scientific and technological solutions to sustain such traditional systems. Biotechnology, she suggested, could be used to reduce soil erosion, conserve soil and water, and strengthen agricultural systems while retaining biodiversity, fish populations and the natural character of the landscape.
“The objective should be to support the traditional system rather than replace it,” Aniya said.
Aniya also discussed the role of indigenous practices in biodiversity conservation. She cited community-based systems in which hunting is regulated and undertaken according to need and, in some cases, with community permission.
Such practices, she said, have contributed to the preservation of biodiversity, allowing different varieties of animals, flowers and plants to continue to thrive in certain areas.
She stressed that indigenous knowledge should not simply be preserved as folklore but should be examined using modern scientific tools and methods. Scientific research and testing can provide additional evidence and understanding, while researchers should also remain conscious of knowledge passed down through generations.
She said combining the two approaches could help develop solutions that are scientifically sound while remaining rooted in local knowledge.
Linking the discussion to Viksit Bharat 2047, Aniya called upon research scholars, scientists and others associated with scientific institutions to consider their responsibility towards the preservation of indigenous knowledge and biodiversity.
She also urged scientific institutions to reflect on their vision for 2047 and consider how research and innovation can help ensure that traditional knowledge systems remain relevant and beneficial to future generations.
Dr. Nanaocha Sharma, Director (Additional Charge), BRIC-IBSD, highlighted the institute’s efforts to conserve and sustainably utilise India’s bioresources, particularly those of the Northeast.
He stressed the need to bridge indigenous knowledge with modern science to promote innovation, sustainable livelihoods and conservation. Sharma also informed that BRIC-IBSD has filed for Geographical Indication (GI) tags for two varieties of black rice from Manipur.
The programme was attended by Dr. R.K. Radhesana Devi, Director, Planning Department, Government of Manipur; Dr. R.K. Tombisana Singh, Joint Director, Planning Department, Government of Manipur, and officials of the institute.
A book titled A Compendium of Medicinal Plants of the Family Zingiberaceae from North-East India was also released during the programme. The publication is expected to contribute to greater awareness, documentation and scientific understanding of the medicinal plant wealth of the Northeast.
