‘Gyan Bharatam’ Mission Launched to Digitise and Revive Manuscript Heritage

In a historic step to safeguard India’s civilisational knowledge systems, the Ministry of Culture has launched ‘Gyan Bharatam’, a national initiative dedicated to preserving, digitising, and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage. The programme was formally unveiled during the first-ever Gyan Bharatam International Conference on ‘Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage’, held from 11–13 September 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The three-day conclave has brought together over 1,100 participants, including scholars, cultural practitioners, university leaders, and international experts, in a landmark collective effort to reclaim and promote India’s vast manuscript wealth.

A Cultural Mission of Global Relevance

In his inaugural address, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Culture, hailed the initiative as a civilisational revival under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He stressed that India’s manuscript heritage—spanning literature, science, philosophy, mathematics, art, and governance—remains deeply relevant to humanity even today.

“True pride arises only when we recognise and connect with our civilisational wealth. The Gyan Bharatam Mission seeks to revive this treasure through digitisation, translation, and innovation, ensuring it becomes a source of pride not just for Indians, but for all humanity,” he said.

The Minister emphasised the creation of a National Repository, alongside clusters and centres of excellence, to ensure manuscripts are safeguarded and made accessible. He also paid tribute to institutions and individuals who, despite adversity, have preserved India’s ancient knowledge.

Prime Minister and Home Minister to Address the Conclave

The conference is structured around working group deliberations. Prime Minister Narendra Modi is scheduled to attend on 12 September, listen to the outcomes of these sessions, and deliver a keynote address. The conclave will close on 13 September with a valedictory session chaired by the Union Home Minister, underlining the national significance of the initiative.

Scholars Highlight Manuscript Wealth

Prof. Manjul Bhargava, Fields Medal awardee and keynote speaker, described India as the world’s richest reservoir of manuscript heritage, with over ten million manuscripts in India and nearly one million abroad. He argued that reviving this tradition could spark nothing less than an “Indian Renaissance”, inspiring education reforms, cultural diplomacy, sustainable development, and new research.

Shri Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, noted that manuscripts should not be seen as mere artefacts but as repositories of ideals and knowledge, much like how Swami Vivekananda explained the deeper symbolism behind idol worship. He stressed that the conference would chart the roadmap for Gyan Bharatam’s future.

The Urgency of Mapping and Repatriation

Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, emphasised the critical need to map, catalogue, and digitise manuscripts, both within India and abroad. Manuscripts are currently housed in global institutions across France, Germany, the UK, Denmark, Sweden, and the Netherlands, as well as in the Hermitage Museum, Russia. He noted that repatriation efforts can only succeed once this global mapping is completed.

Parallel Sessions and Key Themes

Across the three days, parallel sessions explored themes such as:

• Manuscriptology and Paleography.

• Survey, Documentation, Metadata, and Digitisation Standards (AI, IIF, HTR).

• Conservation and Restoration Techniques.

• National and International Perspectives on Safeguarding Heritage.

Eminent participants included Prof. Ramesh Kumar Pandey (Former Vice-Chancellor, Lal Bahadur Shastri National Sanskrit University), Prof. Sachin Chaturvedi (Vice-Chancellor, Nalanda University), Prof. Bihari Lal Sharma (Vice-Chancellor, Sampurnananda Sanskrit University), and Dr. Padma Subrahmanyam, Trustee, IGNCA.

Towards a Knowledge Renaissance

The Ministry underlined that Gyan Bharatam is not only about preservation but about creation and dissemination, ensuring that manuscripts inspire future generations, academic research, and India’s cultural diplomacy. Several working groups will recommend frameworks for digitisation, public access platforms, translations, and international collaboration.

In his keynote, Prof. Bhargava observed:

“Manuscripts embody an interdisciplinary wisdom that can strengthen national pride, inspire innovation, and build bridges with the world. Reviving them is as much about the future as it is about the past.”

A Collective Yajna for Viksit Bharat

As Shri Shekhawat concluded, the initiative is a yajna (sacred endeavour), begun under Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s leadership with the National Mission on Manuscripts, and now revitalised under Prime Minister Modi. The Culture Minister urged all participants to take collective responsibility in reviving India’s civilisational wealth as part of the broader journey towards Viksit Bharat (Developed India).