Gyan Bharatam Conference Adopts Delhi Declaration to Revive Manuscript Heritage

The Ministry of Culture has launched ‘Gyan Bharatam’, a landmark national mission dedicated to the preservation, digitisation, and dissemination of India’s priceless manuscript heritage. To mark this historic beginning, the Ministry organised the first-ever Gyan Bharatam International Conference on the theme “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage” from 11–13 September 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

The three-day event brought together over 1,100 participants, including scholars, cultural practitioners, institutions, and global experts, making it one of the largest gatherings on manuscript traditions in India’s history.

Prime Minister’s Guidance Sets the Tone

The highlight of the conference came on 12 September, when Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi attended the working group presentations and addressed the gathering. He described manuscripts as “not relics of the past but living legacies” and urged that they be made relevant to contemporary life. His words framed the conference’s direction: to ensure that manuscript knowledge becomes a people’s movement and a voice of India’s culture, literature, and consciousness in the global arena.

Valedictory Session and Delhi Declaration

The conference concluded on 13 September with a valedictory session chaired by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who called the mission “a cultural renaissance guided by the Prime Minister’s vision.” He emphasised that preservation and publication of manuscripts will only have meaning if they connect with society at large, transforming into a Jan Andolan (people’s movement).

During the session, the Delhi Declaration (Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra) was formally read by Smt. Amita Prasad Sarbhai, Convenor of the Conference and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Culture. The declaration pledged to:

• Preserve, digitise, and disseminate India’s manuscripts as a cornerstone of Viksit Bharat 2047.

• Recognise Bharat as home to the world’s richest manuscript traditions.

• Transform Gyan Bharatam into a people’s movement involving citizens, youth, women, scholars, and institutions.

• Nurture every script and language as symbols of unity in diversity.

• Harness modern skills and technology for digitisation, conservation, and dissemination.

• Honour custodians and institutions safeguarding manuscript collections.

• Encourage reinterpretation and research for education, innovation, and global knowledge exchange.

• Repatriate manuscripts held abroad or secure their digital copies.

The declaration was unanimously adopted by all delegates, scholars, and participants.

Key Highlights and Announcements

The valedictory session was graced by eminent dignitaries, including Shri Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA; Prof. Manjul Bhargava, Fields Medalist; and Yaduvir Singh Rawat, Director General, ASI, among others.

• Conference Report: Presented by Shri Vivek Agarwal, who noted that eight thematic working groups had submitted their recommendations, reflecting collective wisdom and vision.

• Gyan Setu Challenge: Prof. Ramesh C. Gaur announced the winners, felicitated by Shri Shekhawat. First prize went to R. Ramakrishnan, CEO of Inverse AI, second to Prof. Ravi Kiran, and third to Venkat Ravi Teja Vila, the duo of Dr. Arjun Ghosh and Chetan Arora, and a mother-son team.

• Cultural Launches: The Gyan Bharatam logo was unveiled, and the Gyan Bharatam song, composed by Meri Zindagi Band led by Dr. Jaya Tiwari, was performed, adding a cultural dimension to the academic proceedings.

A Youth-Driven Movement

Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi noted the unique character of the conference — more than 70 percent of the participants were young scholars. Their voluntary participation without sponsorship or incentives reflected genuine enthusiasm, making the initiative more than a scholarly event. “This is not just a conference, it is the beginning of a movement,” he said, highlighting the commitment to pass on India’s manuscript traditions to future generations.

Vision for the Future

Shri Shekhawat concluded by reiterating: “Our objective is clear — to preserve, publish, and make manuscripts accessible through modern technology and social media so that every Indian can take pride in this intellectual heritage.”

He stressed that manuscripts should not remain confined to archives but must serve as living sources of knowledge, linked with practical utility and public life. The Gyan Bharatam mission, he said, will position India as the global leader in manuscript heritage and strengthen cultural pride as part of the journey toward Viksit Bharat 2047.

Legacy of Gyan Bharatam 2025

The Gyan Bharatam International Conference 2025 has laid the foundation of a long-term national movement, uniting policymakers, scholars, and citizens to preserve and promote India’s ancient wisdom. By digitising manuscripts, making them widely accessible, and reinterpreting them for contemporary relevance, the mission seeks to create a knowledge bridge between India’s past and its future.