Image Source : ANI News
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has officially launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a landmark initiative aimed at digitising and preserving India’s vast manuscript heritage. Announced during the 124th episode of Mann Ki Baat, the mission seeks to create a National Digital Repository that will make over one crore ancient manuscripts accessible to students, researchers, and the global academic community.
Vision And Objectives
The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a restructured version of the National Mission for Manuscripts and is now a Central Sector Scheme under the Ministry of Culture. It aims to safeguard India’s intellectual legacy by digitising rare and fragile manuscripts written on palm leaves, birch bark, cloth, and paper. These texts span over 80 scripts and 60 languages, including Sanskrit, Tamil, Persian, Arabic, Bengali, and Malayalam.
Key highlights from the launch:
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The mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025 with a budget increase from ₹3.5 crore to ₹60 crore
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A National Digital Repository will be created to host digitised manuscripts for public access
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The initiative aligns with the broader Viksit Bharat vision to promote civilizational pride and academic integration
Technology And Access
To ensure wide accessibility, the Ministry of Culture is developing a mobile app and web portal that will allow users to view, search, and interact with digitised manuscripts. The app will include features such as real-time translation, interactive tutorials, and secure access to premium content. The portal will follow international archiving standards and metadata protocols to ensure long-term preservation and usability.
Digitisation efforts will cover:
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Over 50 crore pages of rare manuscripts housed in libraries, museums, and private collections
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Restoration of damaged texts affected by ink bleed, worm damage, and age-related deterioration
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Integration of visual elements and illustrations found in many manuscripts
Cultural Significance And Public Appeal
During the launch, PM Modi described the manuscripts as chapters of India’s soul and urged citizens to support the mission. He emphasized that these texts are not just historical records but living embodiments of India’s knowledge systems, philosophy, and cultural diversity.
The mission also complements recent heritage recognitions, such as UNESCO’s inclusion of 12 Maratha forts as World Heritage Sites. Modi highlighted the historical importance of these forts, linking them to India’s broader narrative of resilience and innovation.
Implementation And Institutional Support
The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts will anchor the mission, working in collaboration with academic institutions, private collectors, and research organizations. Manuscript Resource Centres and Conservation Centres across India will play a key role in surveying, cataloguing, and restoring texts.
The mission’s operational goals include:
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Training a new generation of manuscriptologists and conservation experts
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Organising exhibitions, workshops, and manuscript festivals to raise public awareness
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Publishing and translating rare texts to promote scholarly research
Challenges And Future Outlook
While the mission is ambitious, experts caution that success will depend on sustained funding, institutional coordination, and public participation. With 80 percent of manuscripts held by private collectors, access policies and incentives will be crucial to expanding the repository.
The government’s approach reflects a shift from preservation to active utilisation, aiming to integrate ancient knowledge into modern education and research. If executed effectively, the Gyan Bharatam Mission could become a global model for cultural digitisation and heritage stewardship.
Sources: ANI, Press Information Bureau, MSN India, Insights on India, Vajiram and Ravi, Adda247
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