The Council of Scientific and Industrial Research-National Institute of Science Communication and Policy Research (CSIR-NIScPR) successfully concluded the International Conference on Communication and Dissemination of Traditional Knowledge (CDTK-2026), which also marked the 25th anniversary of the Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK). The conference spanned multiple days and featured scientific sessions focusing on challenges and opportunities in scholarly communication and popularizing traditional knowledge.
The final day commenced with a scientific session titled 'Challenges and Opportunities in Scholarly Communication in Traditional Knowledge: Celebrating 25 Years of Indian Journal of Traditional Knowledge (IJTK)', which included a commemorative video documenting the journal's 25-year journey. Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam, Director of CSIR-NIScPR, officially released the IJTK 25th anniversary issue during this session.
Keynote addresses were delivered by Dr Ina Vandebroek, Professor of Ethnobotany at the University of the West Indies, Mona, who emphasized working with local communities in Jamaica's biodiversity hotspots, and Prof. Pulok Mukherjee of Jadavpur University, who stressed translating traditional knowledge into global evidence through omics integration. Dr H. R. Nagendra, Chief Editor of IJTK, highlighted the journal's evolution and scientific indexing milestones, while former editors Dr N. R. Mankad, Dr T. K. Mukherjee and Dr K. P. Singh recalled IJTK's inception and 25-year scholarly journey.
The conference included a session on 'Challenges and Opportunities in Popularising Traditional Knowledge' chaired by Shri P. A. Vivekananda Pai, Secretary General of Vijnana Bharati, Kerala, who highlighted India's contributions to mathematics and scientific frameworks. Dr Pramod Grover, Director of Science City, Kolkata, discussed the role of National Council of Science Museum in science communication, while Dr V. V. Binoy of National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru addressed contextual and participatory models of science communication.
The final scientific session focused on 'Sustainable Innovation and Development: Experiential Learning from Social Researchers and Traditional Knowledge Holders' chaired by Dr Arvind C Ranade, Director of National Innovation Foundation, Gandhinagar, who outlined three pillars of sustainable innovation: environmental sustainability, economic viability, and fair benefit-sharing with traditional knowledge holders.
A distinguished talk was delivered by Smt. Rahibai Soma Popere, Padma Shri awardee, farmer and seed conservationist from Maharashtra, who shared her journey of conserving indigenous seeds and reviving traditional farming practices. She emphasized protecting native seeds, restoring soil health, and moving toward chemical-free agriculture to ensure access to toxin-free vegetables and nutritious food.
The conference featured 40 oral presentations and 60 poster presentations from participants across India and abroad. The valedictory session included closing remarks by Dr Geetha Vani Rayasam highlighting ethical engagement, community sensitization, documentation and benefit-sharing in Traditional Knowledge, and Prof B N Jagatap, Former Senior Professor at IIT Bombay, emphasized formalizing Indian Knowledge Systems. Best Poster Presentation Awards were distributed during the closing ceremony.
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