Gyan Bharatam Mission Introduction

• India’s vast and ancient knowledge base is set to experience a major transformation with the launch of the revamped National Manuscripts Mission, now rebranded as the Gyan Bharatam Mission. 
• This groundbreaking initiative, scheduled to be inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on June 9, 2025, aims to digitize, conserve, and make accessible over one crore manuscripts that are scattered across the country. 
• The mission is designed to preserve India’s intellectual heritage and make it available for future generations in a structured, centralized manner.

Key Objectives of the Gyan Bharatam Mission

• Digitization and Conservation: One of the central aims of the Gyan Bharatam Mission is to digitize the wealth of manuscripts housed in various institutions, temples, libraries, and private collections across India. This will safeguard these fragile documents from the threats posed by natural decay, theft, and environmental damage.
• Accessibility and Preservation: The initiative will not only preserve ancient manuscripts but also make them accessible to scholars, students, and anyone interested in exploring India’s vast intellectual tradition. The goal is to ensure that this treasure trove of knowledge is never lost and is available for academic and cultural enrichment.
• Promoting National Heritage: The mission reflects India’s commitment to safeguarding its heritage and making it a part of the nation’s broader cultural and academic landscape. It aims to ensure that India’s manuscripts, which contain knowledge on subjects ranging from mathematics and astronomy to literature and philosophy, receive the attention they deserve.

National Manuscripts Mission (NMM)

• Launched in 2003 under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the National Manuscripts Mission (NMM) aimed to preserve and digitize India’s rich manuscript heritage. 
• Despite its ambitious mandate, the initiative faced institutional and operational constraints that hindered its expected growth.
• Achievements So Far:
  • 52 lakh manuscripts have been cataloged and metadata prepared.
  • 3 lakh manuscripts have been digitized.
  • Only 1.3 lakh manuscripts have been uploaded online, and a mere 70,000 are currently accessible to the public.
• Challenges: A significant barrier to public access has been the lack of a clear access policy, especially with private manuscript owners who hold nearly 80% of India’s manuscript collection, contributing to limited digital availability.

Transition to the Gyan Bharatam Mission

• The Union Government, in the 2025 Budget, has substantially increased the financial allocation for the manuscripts initiative, raising the budget from ₹3.5 crore to ₹60 crore. This substantial investment aims to address operational challenges and integrate modern technology into the preservation ecosystem.
• Key Features of the Gyan Bharatam Mission:
  • Survey and Documentation: The mission will document manuscripts held by institutions, private collectors, museums, and libraries.
  • Digitization and Conservation: Rare and fragile manuscripts will undergo digitization and conservation to preserve them for future generations.
  • Autonomous Oversight: A new, independent institution will be established to oversee the mission’s implementation, allowing for better efficiency and agility.
• Independence from IGNCA: Unlike the NMM, which was part of IGNCA, the Gyan Bharatam Mission will operate as a standalone entity, enhancing its operational flexibility.

Addressing Key Challenges

• Although the National Manuscripts Mission has made significant strides over the past two decades, several challenges remain:
  • Private Manuscript Owners: A large number of manuscripts remain in private hands, and many owners are reluctant to share their collections due to the absence of clear policies.
  • Digitization Delays: Despite ongoing efforts, a small fraction of the manuscripts have been digitized and made publicly available.
  • Awareness Gap: Younger generations are largely unaware of the wealth of manuscripts available, hindering interest in preservation and research.
• The Gyan Bharatam Mission plans to address these issues through the following strategies:
  • Incentive Frameworks: Introducing frameworks that encourage private manuscript owners to share their collections.
  • Clear Access and Copyright Policies: Establishing a robust access policy that addresses copyright concerns and allows public access.
  • Centralized Digital Repository: Creating open, centralized digital repositories for manuscript access.
  • Preventive Conservation: Implementing preventive conservation techniques to protect fragile manuscripts.

Way Forward

• • Over the past 21 years, preventive and curative conservation efforts have been carried out on over 9 crore folios. This includes both physical conservation and digital archiving, ensuring the preservation of invaluable manuscripts.

• Strategic and Cultural Significance: The Gyan Bharatam Mission is part of a broader movement in India to invest in its civilisational narratives, language revitalization, and heritage infrastructure. By focusing on the preservation of manuscripts, the mission seamlessly integrates cultural pride with modern technology.

• Vision of a Viksit Bharat: The mission aligns with India’s vision of becoming a ‘Viksit Bharat’ (Developed India) by reclaiming and repurposing its traditional knowledge systems for the benefit of future generations. It serves as a cultural bridge, ensuring that India’s ancient wisdom continues to inspire and educate in the digital age.