This is an archive article published on August 29, 2023
G20 CSAR meet | Traditional knowledge systems, interlinked repositories: Nations discuss priority areas
G20 countries also acknowledged the need to enable “immediate and universal access to appropriate publicly funded scholarly scientific knowledge to communities within and beyond G20 members”.
G20 CSAR meet | Traditional knowledge systems, interlinked repositories: Nations discuss priority areas
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Traditional and indigenous knowledge systems should be taken into account with contemporary science to foster evidence-based innovations that are culturally inspired and locally relevant, recommended an outcome document on Monday as the G20-Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable (CSAR) meetings concluded in Gandhinagar.
In response to a query by The Indian Express, Principal Scientific Adviser Prof Ajay Kumar Sood added, “No specific model was discussed but what is important is to bring the traditional knowledge in the framework, of course, based on evidence-driven evaluations. The idea is to not look at the traditional knowledge system with a bias. Many countries, not only India, have strong support for that because they too have their own tribal communities, and it is a rich source of knowledge.”
Meanwhile, G20 countries also acknowledged the need to enable “immediate and universal access to appropriate publicly funded scholarly scientific knowledge to communities within and beyond G20 members”.
However, the countries emphasised that such scholarly accessibility should uphold the “protection of national security”, and “research integrity, privacy, and protection of intellectual property rights”.
For expanding access to scholarly scientific knowledge, the countries recommended establishing “interoperability standards that would allow interlinking among various national as well as international repositories to expand access to publicly funded research outputs”.
2nd meeting of #G20 Chief Science Advisers’ Roundtable begins at Mahatma Mandir in Gandhinagar with Opening remarks by Principal Scientific Adviser to Government of 🇮🇳 Prof. Ajay Kumar Sood
Science advisors,Scientists,researchers from G 20 countries are taking part in meeting pic.twitter.com/auFNN4PBB2
“Frameworks for research assessment and evaluation that take into consideration the holistic contribution of research outputs, including both their intrinsic merit as well as the broader impact, are desirable and deserve further development,” the outcome document read.
Making a push for diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility (DEI&A), a comprehensive DEI&A database was proposed by the countries at the meeting, which would be on “comparable DEI&A indicators” so as to foster evidence-informed policy-making. However further details of this proposed DEI&A remain to be discussed, notes the outcome document of the meet.
Additionally, in order to establish government-to-government (G2G) synergies when it comes to science and technology, the countries agreed on institutionalising a mechanism that “brings chief science advisers and their nominated equivalents together” across the G20 nations “to deliberate on contemporary issues that “demand effective global science advice to address existing knowledge asymmetries”.
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Among the other priority areas discussed were opportunities in ‘One Health for Better Disease Prevention, Control, and Pandemic Preparedness’, where the countries stressed the need to facilitate the development of data standards via appropriate bodies for better information sharing.
Sohini Ghosh is a Senior Correspondent at The Indian Express. Previously based in Ahmedabad covering Gujarat, she recently moved to the New Delhi bureau, where she primarily covers legal developments at the Delhi High Court
Professional Profile
Background: An alumna of the Asian College of Journalism (ACJ), she previously worked with ET NOW before joining The Indian Express.
Core Beats: Her reporting is currently centered on the Delhi High Court, with a focus on high-profile constitutional disputes, disputes over intellectual property, criminal and civil cases, issues of human rights and regulatory law (especially in the areas of technology and healthcare).
Earlier Specialty: In Gujarat, she was known for her rigorous coverage in the beats of crime, law and policy, and social justice issues, including the 2002 riot cases, 2008 serial bomb blast case, 2016 flogging of Dalits in Una, among others.
She has extensively covered health in the state, including being part of the team that revealed the segregation of wards at the state’s largest government hospital on lines of faith in April 2020.
With Ahmedabad being a UNESCO heritage city, she has widely covered urban development and heritage issues, including the redevelopment of the Sabarmati Ashram
Recent Notable Articles (Late 2025)
Her recent reporting from the Delhi High Court covers major political, constitutional, corporate, and public-interest legal battles:
High-Profile Case Coverage
She has extensively covered the various legal battles - including for compensation under the aegis of North East Delhi Riots Claims Commission - pertaining to the 2020 northeast Delhi riots, as well as 1984 anti-Sikh riots.
She has also led coverage at the intersection of technology and governance, and its impact on the citizenry, from, and beyond courtrooms — such as the government’s stakeholder consultations for framing AI-Deepfake policy.
Signature Style
Sohini is recognized for her sustained reporting from courtrooms and beyond. She specialises in breaking down dense legal arguments to make legalese accessible for readers. Her transition from Gujarat to Delhi has seen her expand her coverage on regulatory, corporate and intellectual property law, while maintaining a strong commitment to human rights and lacuna in the criminal justice system.
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