The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) has been restructured and renamed ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ as a Central Sector Scheme for 2024-2031 with a total allocation of ₹482.85 crores . The mission aims to preserve, document, and disseminate India’s rich manuscript heritage .
Key objectives and initiatives include :
- Survey and Documentation: Conducting a nationwide survey and registration of manuscripts to maintain a comprehensive record of India’s manuscript wealth .
- Conservation and Preservation: Implementing scientific and preventive conservation methods for manuscripts across repositories in India .
- Digitization: Creating a National Digital Manuscripts Library by digitizing manuscripts on a large scale for wider accessibility . Approximately 3.5 lakh manuscripts, covering over 3.5 crore folios, have been digitized, and over 135,000 manuscripts have been uploaded on the web portal namami.gov.in, with 76,000 manuscripts available for free public access . The mission aims to digitize folios over the next five years, focusing on rare and fragile manuscripts to ensure their long-term preservation .
- Publication and Research: Editing, translating, and publishing rare and unpublished manuscripts to promote scholarly research .
- Capacity Building: Organizing training programs in manuscriptology, paleography, and conservation to build expertise .
- Outreach and Awareness: Conducting exhibitions, seminars, and cultural programs to increase public awareness of manuscript heritage .
The mission involves collaboration with academic institutions and industry leaders for manuscript research and preservation . The Sampurnanand Sanskrit University in Varanasi has been a key partner in manuscript research, documentation, and conservation . Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs) and Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs) have been set up in reputed institutions . Over 5.2 million manuscripts have been documented across India .
The government aims to ensure that India’s manuscript heritage is actively utilized for academic, cultural, and historical research and is committed to safeguarding India’s invaluable manuscript heritage while ensuring its wider accessibility and academic integration .
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