Gyan Bharatam Mission

Gyan Bharatam Mission Latest News

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the revamped National Manuscripts Mission-now restructured as the “Gyan Bharatam Mission”-on June 9, 2025.

About Gyan Bharatam Mission

• The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a comprehensive national initiative under the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, dedicated to the systematic survey, documentation, conservation, and digitisation of India’s vast manuscript heritage.
• The mission builds upon and revamps the earlier National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), which was established in 2003 and functions under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA).
• Objective of Gyan Bharatam Mission
  • To survey, document, conserve, and digitize over one crore (10 million) manuscripts housed in academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collections across India.
  • To create a National Digital Repository of Indian Knowledge Systems, making ancient wisdom accessible to researchers, students, and the public worldwide.

Key Features of Gyan Bharatam Mission

• Massive Coverage: Targets more than one crore manuscripts, making it the largest manuscript preservation initiative in India’s history.
• Digital Repository: Establishment of a centralized, accessible digital platform for India’s traditional knowledge systems, enabling AI-driven archiving, metadata tagging, and translation tools.
• Collaboration: Active engagement with academic institutions, museums, libraries, private collectors, and international organizations for research, preservation, and dissemination.
• Modern Conservation: Adoption of advanced scientific techniques for restoration, preservation, and digitization, including AI and 3D imaging.
• Budgetary Support: Budget allocation for the mission increased from ₹3.5 crore to ₹60 crore, with a total outlay of ₹482.85 crore for 2024-31.
• Public Access: Manuscripts will be made accessible for academic research, education, and public knowledge, both nationally and globally.

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What are Manuscripts?

• A manuscript is a handwritten document crafted on materials like paper, bark, or palm leaves, which is at least 75 years old and holds notable scientific, historical, or artistic importance.
• For example, the Bakhshali manuscript, dating back to the third or fourth century BCE, is an ancient Indian text on mathematics written on birch bark.
• Research has revealed that the Bakhshali manuscript features the earliest known instance of the mathematical symbol ‘zero’.

Gyan Bharatam Mission FAQs

Q1. What is the Bharatam mission?

Ans. The Bharatam mission, called the Gyan Bharatam Mission, is a government initiative to survey, document, and conserve India’s manuscript heritage.

Q2. What is the primary objective of the Gyan Bharat mission?

Ans. Its main objective is to preserve, document, and make accessible over one crore Indian manuscripts.

Q3. How many manuscripts will be covered under the Gyan Bharatam mission?

Ans. The mission will cover more than one crore (10 million) manuscripts.

Q4. What is the budget of the manuscript mission?

Ans. The budget has been increased to ₹60 crore for the mission.

Source: TH