The Union Budget 2025-26 introduced the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a special initiative aimed at the survey, documentation, and conservation of India’s rich manuscript heritage. The mission plans to preserve and digitize over one crore manuscripts held by academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collectors.
About Gyan Bharatam Mission
- The mission focuses on conserving and documentingIndia’s vast manuscript heritage, which holds significant scientific, historical, and aesthetic value.
- A key component of the mission is the creation of a national digital repositoryfor the Indian knowledge system, which will:
- Serve as a platform for knowledge sharing.
- Digitize and centralize India’s traditional knowledge.
- Make this knowledge accessible to researchers, students, and institutions worldwide.
What is a Manuscript?
- A manuscriptis a handwritten compositionon materials such as paper, bark, cloth, metal, palm leaf, or other surfaces, dating back at least 75 years.
- Manuscripts are distinct from printed volumesor lithographsand are valued for their scientific, historical, and aesthetic significance.
- They are found in hundreds of languages and scripts, often with one language written in multiple scripts (e.g., Sanskrit in Devanagari, Grantha, or Oriya scripts).
- Unlike historical records like epigraphs, farmans, or revenue records, manuscripts primarily contain knowledge contentrather than direct information about historical events.
Significance of the Mission
- The Gyan Bharatam Missionaims to:
- PreserveIndia’s cultural and intellectual heritage for future generations.
- Digitizemanuscripts to ensure their long-term accessibility and protection.
- Promote research and educationby making these resources available globally.
- The mission underscores the government’s commitment to safeguarding India’s traditional knowledge systemsand promoting their relevance in the modern world.
Conclusion
The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a landmark initiative to conserve and document India’s manuscript heritage, ensuring its preservation and accessibility for future generations. By creating a national digital repository, the mission will play a crucial role in promoting India’s rich cultural and intellectual legacy on a global stage.