In a major initiative to promote tribal welfare, encourage sustainable livelihoods and preserve traditional knowledge, the Ministry of Tribal Affairs (MoTA) of the Central Government has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Lucknow-based CSIR-National Botanical Research Institute (CSIR-NBRI). The main objective of this three-year partnership is to establish an ongoing and collaborative relationship between the two organizations to promote research and development for conservation and ethnobotanical assessment of tribal bio-resources across the country.
This MoU was signed by Manish Thakur, Additional Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs, and Dr. Ajit Kumar Shasani, Director, CSIR, in the presence of Ranjana Chopra, Secretary, Ministry of Tribal Affairs. On this occasion, CSIR Chief Scientist Dr. Sharad Srivastava, CSIR Scientist Dr. Sachitra Rath, CSIR Scientist Dr. Manish Bhoyar and senior officials of the Ministry of Tribal Affairs were also present.
Emphasis on welfare of tribals in scientific research
Under this agreement, tribal welfare and community autonomy are the basic principles of all scientific activities. This partnership focuses specifically on the conservation of rare, endangered and threatened (RET) medicinal plant species. For this, advanced measures like development of tissue culture facilities and specialized seed banks are being taken. Local tribal youth will be provided practical capacity building and technical training in these dissemination and conservation techniques to ensure long-term and community-driven sustainability.
Additionally, prior informed consent (PIC) of local gram sabhas and tribal communities will be mandatory for all field assessments and research activities, which is in compliance with the Biodiversity Act, 2002. Each joint project proposal will include a designated budget item for community development, local value addition and capacity building at the grassroots level. The intellectual property generated to protect local interests will be jointly owned by MoTA and CSIR-NBRI, held in trust for the contributing tribal communities or shared equally with them and the financial benefits will be returned through national or state biodiversity funds and dedicated welfare schemes of MoTA.
The Agreement clearly recognizes traditional knowledge as the cultural heritage of tribal peoples, requiring strict compliance with national access and benefit sharing mechanisms to prevent unauthorized commercialization.
Tribal people will connect with modern science
MoTA aims to link the knowledge of tribal communities with modern botanical science through joint events, seminars and ongoing exchange programs between traditional experts and scientists. By empowering tribal youth and strengthening local capacity, the collaboration ensures that bio-resource conservation directly benefits communities in the form of sustainable development and cultural preservation.
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