2-Week Capacity Building Programme on Traditional Knowledge System and Cultural Expressions in India by RMLNLU: Register by Apr 20

About Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow

Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University, Lucknow, was established by an Act of the Government of Uttar Pradesh in 2005 and began operations in January 2006. It offers programmes such as a PhD in law, social sciences, and humanities, a one-year LL.M., and a five-year integrated B.A. LL.B. (Hons.). The University is equipped with a modern Seminar Hall, Video Conferencing Hall, and one of India’s premier law libraries, the Madhu Limaye Library. With excellent infrastructure, RMLNLU is committed to advancing legal education and research, emphasising students’ responsibility to serve society through law.

About The Programme

India is home to some of the world’s most abundant and varied traditional knowledge systems (TKS) and cultural expressions. These systems encompass indigenous medicinal knowledge, agricultural methods, ecological conservation techniques, folklore, handicrafts, music, dance, rituals, and oral traditions. Developed and transmitted over many centuries, they are closely woven into the social, spiritual, and economic fabric of communities throughout the nation.

In recent years, these systems have faced serious challenges. Globalisation, commercialisation, urbanisation, and technological progress have enabled the appropriation and commercialisation of cultural resources, frequently without recognition or benefit-sharing with communities of origin. Cases of bio-piracy, misappropriation, and cultural exploitation have exposed significant deficiencies in current legal frameworks.

Against this backdrop, Dr. Ram Manohar Lohiya National Law University (RMLNLU), Lucknow, sponsored by the Indian Council of Social Science Research (ICSSR), New Delhi, is organising a Two-Week Capacity Building Programme on “Traditional Knowledge System and Cultural Expressions in India: Social and Legal Dimensions” from May 04–16, 2026. The programme aims to provide an enriching interdisciplinary platform for in-service faculty members — primarily Lecturers and Assistant Professors in Social Science disciplines — to engage deeply with the social and legal dimensions of Traditional Knowledge Systems and Traditional Cultural Expressions in India.

Concept Note

The current intellectual property regimes such as copyright, patent, and Geographical Indications (GI) are premised on requirements of individual authorship, fixation, and novelty — criteria that are fundamentally at odds with the collective, cumulative, and intergenerational character of traditional knowledge systems. Consequently, a vast body of indigenous creativity falls outside the ambit of existing IP law, leaving stakeholder communities vulnerable to exploitation.

The Traditional Cultural Expressions (TCEs) of India are routinely misappropriated by foreign and domestic commercial entities — most prominently in the fashion, music, and design industries — without authorisation or benefit-sharing. Notable examples include cases involving Toda Embroidery and Madhubani art, where despite GI registration, practitioners have reported negligible economic returns from mass commercial reproduction of their art.

While India’s Traditional Knowledge Digital Library (TKDL) has served efficiently as a defensive mechanism against frivolous patent claims, the Indian IP regime remains predominantly defensive rather than positive in nature. Indian communities are yet to be granted definitive and robust positive legal rights to own, control, use, and assign the knowledge passed down through generations.

This programme seeks to bridge the gap between legal principles and real-world social dynamics by fostering multidisciplinary inquiry into traditional knowledge frameworks and cultural manifestations — with a view to building protection that is culturally sensitive, socially equitable, and legally robust.

Themes To Be Covered

• Legal frameworks for protection of Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions
• Geographical Indications (GI), TKDL, and defensive IP mechanisms in India
• Bio-Piracy, Misappropriation, and Enforcement Inefficiencies
• Benefit-Sharing Mechanisms and Community Rights under the Biological Diversity Act, 2002
• Constitutional Rights of Tribal and Marginalised Communities (Articles 21, 29; Fifth & Sixth Schedules)
• Comparative and international perspectives on TK protection (CBD, UNDRIP, WIPO-IGC)
• Innovative Legal Research and Interdisciplinary Teaching Methodologies
• Policy research on Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions

Objectives Of The Programme

• To deliberate and acquaint faculty participants with the social and legal dimensions of Traditional Knowledge System and Cultural Expressions in India.
• To acquaint participants with the intricacies of Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions.
• To familiarise faculty participants with innovative teaching-learning and legal research methods.
• To train participants to upgrade their knowledge and skills to undertake meaningful research, including policy research, on Traditional Knowledge and Cultural Expressions.
• To equip participants with the ability to effectively assimilate and impart knowledge in different areas of social sciences and law.
• To enhance the overall teaching and research capabilities of participants.

Eligibility

Participants must be a Lecturer / Assistant Professor in a UGC-recognised Indian University / Deemed University / College / Institute of National Importance or ICSSR Research / Recognised Institute. Applications must be duly forwarded by the parent institution.

Important Dates

Registration Guidelines

• The Capacity Building Programme shall be conducted in offline mode only.
• No Registration Fee is required.
• Total 30 participants: 10 Local | 10 Within State | 10 Outside State. Selection on first-cum-first-serve basis.
• Reservation benefits for SC/ST/OBC/EWS (UP) categories shall be given as per GoI/GoUP and University Rules.
• Applications must be forwarded through proper channel with a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the parent institution.
• On 16.05.2026, all participants must appear in a written test. Certificates of Participation shall be awarded only to those securing at least 50% marks.
• Hard copy of the application along with Caste Certificate (if applicable) and NOC to be sent to: The Registrar, RMLNLU, Sector-D1, LDA Colony, Kanpur Road, Ashiyana, Lucknow – 226012, on or before 02nd May 2026.

Accommodation, Travel Allowance And Food

• All selected participants shall be provided Travel Allowance as per ICSSR Training and Capacity Building (TCB) Guidelines and University Rules.
• Day Hospitality (food) will be provided to all participants throughout the programme.
• Outstation participants (Outside State and Within State categories) will be provided shared accommodation (one room for two participants) by the University.
• Local participants will need to arrange their own accommodation.

Registration Procedure

• Registration Link is here.
• Performa of NOC Link is here.

Contact Details

• Email: [email protected]
• Mobile (Course Director): +91-9891601151
• Mobile (Co-Course Director): +91-8429457581
• Student Coordinators: Mr. Rishi Shukla – +91-7985176907 | Mr. Ashish Kumar – +91-9455300120

The brochure is here.