Indigenous communities have rich cultures that are eroding under the onslaught of the homogenising force of modernisation. Apart from the rich heritage of arts and crafts and architecture, what is also being lost are the ethnic, local practices for the management of the environment, traditional knowledge of health and medicine, etc., that have evolved over centuries in these indigenous communities. Much of these collective, local wisdoms can be adapted to provide solutions to modern-day problems as well; these wisdoms usually have the philosophy of holism and sustainability, a critical requirement of this age. Unless documented and preserved, we may lose this cultural heritage even before we know of them and have fully appreciated them.
The Pragya 'Traditional Knowledge & Culture Conservation' Programme seeks to tap the traditional knowledge and preserve the culture of indigenous communities. The Programme concentrates on~
Traditional Knowledge & Application- revitalising traditional knowledge in health systems, natural resources management, etc., enhancing their effectiveness with the injection of appropriate technology
Culture Development & Preservation- preservation of cultural heritage, establishing appropriate management mechanisms and mainstreaming of arts & crafts to ensure their effective continuance

Remote, biodiversity-rich regions and indigenous communities lag behind on the ladder of development, although their natural and cultural heritage is exploited by the more developed regions. Population density of these neglected regions and groups is usually low which brings in development challenges in terms of provision of basic human services and infrastructure. The social enablers of people's movement and voluntarism that can help people take charge of their own destiny are typically deficient in these regions. Indigenous institutions can help democracy to devolve to the grassroots; voluntary organisations can pressure policies and help take facilities to backward areas. Development of these regions requires special focus on the macro level of policy formulation and government action on the one hand and the grassroots level of local capacity and self-governance on the other.
The Pragya 'Capability Building & Regional Development' Programme aims to enhance capacity in communities to shape their own development. The Programme focusses on~
Regional Development Policies- facilitating appropriate development action for underdeveloped areas and peoples through policy formulation and advocacy for basic minimum facilities and infrastructure
Grassroots Capacity Building- strengthening grassroots organisations through community organisation creation and competence development and organisation management

Problems brought about by unbridled tourism, overextraction of natural resources, high dependance on conventional sources of energy and, inefficient water management in the Himalyan regions need to be tackled by adopting appropriate technologies, suited to the characteristics of the environment and community inhabitating these regions. These would include using alternative sources of energy, local power generation using renewable sources of energy, appropriate construction techniques incorporating traditional practices, alternate irrigation techniques, solutions for waste & water management etc. The Pragya ‘Development & Infusion of Appropriate Technologies’ Programme attempts at identifying, devising and adapting suitable technologies for effeciently managing the natural resources of the high altitude Himalayan regions. The programme is exploring ~
Renewable Energy Options ~Addresses the myriad issues of renewable energy utilisation for domestic and income generation purposes in the Himalayas.
Artificial Glaciers~ Experimenting with new concepts such as snow harvesting through the construction of artificial glaciers, developing high silt load carrying capacity hydrams, etc, towards solving the problem of inadequacy of water for irrigation in the cold desert region of Western Indian Himalayas.