India Launches Gyan Bharatam Mission to Preserve Manuscripts
The Indian government has unveiled the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a significant initiative aimed at preserving and digitizing the country’s vast manuscript heritage. With a budget of ₹482.85 crores allocated for the period from 2024 to 2031, the mission seeks to enhance public access to India’s rich textual traditions. Key objectives include nationwide surveys, conservation efforts, and the establishment of a National Digital Manuscripts Library.
Key Objectives of the Gyan Bharatam Mission
The Gyan Bharatam Mission is designed to address several critical areas in the preservation and promotion of India’s manuscript heritage. One of the primary objectives is to conduct a comprehensive survey and documentation of manuscripts across the country. This initiative aims to create a detailed record of India’s manuscript wealth, ensuring that these invaluable texts are recognized and preserved.
Another crucial aspect of the mission is the scientific conservation and preventive preservation of manuscripts housed in various repositories throughout India. This effort will safeguard these texts from deterioration and damage, allowing future generations to access them. Additionally, the mission emphasizes large-scale digitization, which will facilitate the creation of a National Digital Manuscripts Library, making these works more accessible to scholars and the public alike.
The mission also focuses on the editing, translating, and publishing of rare and unpublished manuscripts to foster scholarly research. Furthermore, it aims to build capacity through training programs in manuscriptology, paleography, and conservation, thereby developing expertise in these fields. Outreach initiatives, including exhibitions and seminars, will raise public awareness about the significance of manuscript heritage.
Collaboration and Impact in Uttar Pradesh
The Gyan Bharatam Mission has already made significant strides in Uttar Pradesh, where institutions like the Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi have played a pivotal role in manuscript research and conservation. The establishment of Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs) and Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs) in reputable institutions across the state has further bolstered these efforts.
To date, over 5.2 million manuscripts have been documented nationwide, with a notable number originating from Uttar Pradesh. The mission has also conducted numerous capacity-building programs and workshops in the state, training scholars and archivists in manuscript conservation and transcription. Special projects have been initiated to preserve and promote rare Sanskrit, Persian, and Arabic manuscripts from various libraries in the region.
Digitization Efforts and Future Plans
The Gyan Bharatam Mission is committed to ensuring that India’s manuscript heritage is not only preserved but also actively utilized for academic and cultural research. As part of its digitization efforts, approximately 3.5 lakh manuscripts, encompassing over 3.5 crore folios, have already been digitized. More than 135,000 manuscripts are available on the web portal namami.gov.in, with 76,000 accessible for free public viewing.
Looking ahead, the mission aims to digitize additional folios over the next five years, focusing particularly on rare and fragile manuscripts to ensure their long-term preservation. The government plans to collaborate with academic institutions, private collectors, and research organizations to expand the digitization and dissemination of manuscripts. Regular exhibitions, workshops, and manuscript festivals will be organized to engage both scholars and the public, fostering a new generation of manuscriptologists.
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