Culture Ministry partners with 20 institutions to launch Gyan Bharatam Mission for manuscript preservation

The Ministry of Culture has moved forward with its Gyan Bharatam Mission by formalizing agreements with nearly 20 institutions across India to conserve, digitize, and promote the nation’s manuscript heritage.

According to senior officials, the first batch of Memorandums of Understanding (MoUs) was signed on Oct 25, with another 30 institutions expected to join soon.

Participating organizations include the Asiatic Society in Kolkata, the University of Kashmir in Srinagar, Hindi Sahitya Sammelan in Prayagraj, and the Government Oriental Manuscript Library in Chennai.

Launched as part of this year’s Union Budget, the Gyan Bharatam Mission focuses on identifying, documenting, and digitally preserving India’s ancient manuscripts through a centralized platform, the National Digital Repository (NDR).

The initiative seeks to make traditional Indian knowledge systems accessible to global audiences.

Institutions under the project are being designated as either cluster centers or independent centers.

Cluster Centers will coordinate manuscript conservation for themselves and up to 20 partner institutions, while Independent Centers will focus solely on their individual collections.

The mission will provide overall funding, technical infrastructure, and monitoring support. It will also review annual plans, track implementation, and ensure quality through third-party audits.

Each participating institution will establish a Gyan Bharatam Cell responsible for survey, cataloguing, conservation, translation, and outreach activities, as well as coordination with partner organizations.

Funding will be disbursed in two phases: the first installment, covering 70% of the approved amount, will be released after annual plans are cleared.

The remaining 30% will follow the submission of progress reports, expenditure details, and verification statements.

Last month, the Culture Ministry organized its first international conference on Indian manuscripts titled “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage.”

Officials said the Gyan Bharatam Mission builds on that effort by ensuring that India’s traditional knowledge, preserved in fragile manuscripts, is protected and shared with future generations.