A NEW INITIATIVE TAKES SHAPE

Centre for Advanced Research of Indigenous Knowledge Systems
Mysore, India

On 8th December, 1993 a group of scholars of various academic backgrounds, but
all concerned about serious scholarly activities, have established the
Foundation for the Promotion of Indigenous Knowledge Based Development (IKDF)
at Mysore, India. They sought to promote advanced research in a variety of
academic disciplines that have in common the search for indigenous knowledge
systems, and to make this knowledge available for sustainable development.
They felt a common need to conceive alternative approaches to development that
would at once make the agents of indigenous knowledge creative in the evolving
society and enhance scientific understanding of contemporary social, economic
and cultural phenomena in both their structural and processal aspects. To this
end the scientists agreed to set up the Centre for Advanced Research of
Indigenous Kowledge Systems (CARIKS) at Mysore. The Foundation, which is
registered under the Karnataka Trust Act, will extend all possible
co-operation to the Centre.

By Jan Brouwer

The Centre functions as a national Centre devoted to scientific research. It
wil conduct and promote research programmes in chosen frontier and
interdisciplinary areas of the humanities and history, and organize seminars,
workshops and symposia on these areas.
The Centre is located in a pleasant residential locality of Mysore city close
to major libraries for Anthropology, Archaeology, Indian Languages and the
State Archives. It is also within easy distance to the University of Mysore.
It has a reference library, documentation facilities and a reading room. It
will also develop certain facilities of its own for database information of
Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable Development and such requirements for
desk and fieldwork as are essential. The facilities of the Centre would be
available for use by both Indian and foreign scholars. 
The Centre is headed by a director who is assisted by an administrator and one
secretarial staff. The Directorate of the Centre is accountable to the
Foundation.

OBJECTIVES
The main objectives of the Centre are:
(a) To promote and carry out research in selected areas of science related to
Indigenous Knowledge Systems;
(b) To establish a resource centre for documentation, database information,
research, development and training on the subject of Indigenous Knowledge;
(c) To gather data and facilitate the documentation of Indigenous Knowledge
in the fields of rural industries, technologies, management, education,
health, and agriculture;
(d) To develop a system of storing and retrieving records of Indigenous
Knowledge Systems;
(e) To arrange and organise seminars and workshops for development and
dissemination of Indigenous Knowledge;
(f) To provide administrative, managerial and organisational support and
services to visiting scholars and affiliated research projects at the Centre;
(g) To publish monographs and reports on frontier and interdisciplinary areas
of sciences related to Indigenous Knowledge Systems.

PROGRESS TO DATE
The Centre started functioning late in 1993. Among its early activities are
research projects on the "Development needs of rural manufacturers"; the
"World-view of the Indian smiths" and "Indigenous accounting systems".
Discussions on a few important scientific topics have already been held with
considerable success. A seminar on Indigenous Knowledge and Sustainable
Development is on the anvil. The publication programme of the Centre will
start with the Series Occasional Papers (April 1994) and the Series S.P.
Tewari Memorial Lectures (December 1994).
Serious efforts are being made to expand the infrastructural facilities and
to initiate research activities. There is much to look forward to in the years
to come. Mid 1994 the Centre will move to a specially designed building in the
same locality.

RESEARCH
The Centre will conduct and promote research activities in certain important
frontiers and interdisciplinary areas of the Humanities and History. Typical
of the research areas of interest to the Centre at present are:
(a) World-view, Life-style and Development;
(b) Indigenous Technologies;
(c) Indigenous Institutions and forms of Management on local levels;
(d) Interface of Macro-economic possibilities and Micro level  pecularities;
(e) Research Methodology for Indigenous Knowledge Systems;
(f) Epigraphy as a source of Indigenous Knowledge;
(g) Trade Lexicons and Indigenous concepts in Modern Indian Languages in
relation to Development.

Two of the areas that have been taken up are "Rural Artisans Response to
Macro-structural Possibilities in Karnataka" and "The State and Local revenue
Administration in South Indian History". Research on Indigenous Knowledge and
Gender and on Indigenous Botanical Classifications and Health Care is being
initiated. Adequate computing facilities are also being developed.
The Centre has in-house expertise in the fields of anthropology, archaeology,
administration and management; social and economic history, linguistics; and
biochemistry and food technology.

SERVICES
Individual scholars as well as Institutions can apply for project affiliation
to the Centre through the IKDF. Services rendered to affiliated projects are:
(a)secretarial (communications, multiplication, pc);
(b)recruitment (project staff and personnel);
(c)administrative (research permissions, visa);
(d)logistical (fieldwork, accomomodation);
(e)scientific (expertise, exchange);
(f)documentary (library and records).

INSTITUTIONAL MATTERS
The Centre is financed with a modest grant from the IKDF. Affiliated projects
will be charged a percentage of the projects budget for the services rendered.
The decision-making on in-house projects and project affiliation rests with
the IKDF Board of Trustees.

BOARD OF TRUSTEES
The Centre as an activity of the IKDF has the Board of Trustees as its
academic body. It meets four times a year. The composition is: Dr B. L. Amla:
President
(Former Director of the Central Food Technology Research Institute); Dr R.
Indira: Vice-President (Reader in Sociology at the University of Mysore); Dr
J. Brouwer: Member-Secretary
(Director Indo-Dutch Programme on Alternatives in Development); Dr D.P.
Pattanayak: Member
(former Director of the Central Institute of Indian Languages); Dr N. Hatti:
Member
(Professor of Economic History at the University of Lund, Sweden); Mrs S.L.
Meenu: member
(Extension Officer Training and Development).
During the year 1994 an international Advisory Board will be formed with
scholars from India and abroad.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Member-Secretary, I.K.D. Foundation
P.O. Box 1, Saraswathipuram
Mysore-570009 India
Tel: +91-821-63259
Fax: +91-821-63259