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The Centre on Monday launched a three-month nationwide survey to document, conserve and digitise India’s manuscript heritage under the Gyan Bharatam initiative. The survey will be carried out across districts, marking one of the most extensive efforts to systematically map the country’s manuscript collections.
Officials said the survey will be conducted down to the district level, ensuring wide geographic coverage. The data collected will support future conservation and digitisation efforts, with manuscripts eventually being integrated into a central digital repository.
A dedicated mobile application has been developed for the exercise, enabling survey teams to upload and manage data in a standardised format.
Announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, Gyan Bharatam is the Ministry of Culture’s flagship programme focused on identifying, preserving and promoting India’s manuscript wealth.
The initiative aims not just to safeguard fragile records but also to make them accessible through digitisation, allowing wider engagement with India’s traditional knowledge systems.
The Gyan Bharatam portal, launched last year, serves as the central platform for storing digitised manuscripts. It is designed to accelerate preservation efforts while improving public and academic access to these materials.
The repository is expected to grow significantly as new manuscripts identified during the survey are processed and uploaded.
According to government data shared in Parliament earlier this year, more than 7.5 lakh manuscripts have already been digitised under the initiative. Of these, about 1.29 lakh are currently available on the portal.
The government has also onboarded 20 states and Union Territories as nodal coordinating authorities to streamline implementation at the regional level.
To support the initiative, 45 centres have been set up across the country, including 28 cluster centres and 17 independent centres. These institutions are responsible for carrying out key activities such as documentation, conservation and digitisation.
A detailed manual on preservation practices has been prepared and circulated among experts for feedback, alongside the rollout of the survey application.
The project has received financial approval of INR 491.66 crore for the period between 2025 and 2031. The funding is intended to support infrastructure, digitisation processes and capacity-building efforts.
Positioned within the broader vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the initiative seeks to combine cultural preservation with knowledge development, ensuring that India’s manuscript heritage remains both protected and relevant.
The survey follows a three-day international conference on manuscript heritage hosted by the Ministry of Culture last September, where the Gyan Bharatam platform was formally introduced.
With the survey now underway, the government aims to move from fragmented documentation towards a more coordinated, technology-driven system for preserving and sharing India’s manuscript legacy.
(With inputs from PTI and other sources.)
1. What is the Gyan Bharatam mission?
Gyan Bharatam is a flagship initiative by the Ministry of Culture aimed at identifying, preserving and digitising India’s manuscript heritage.
2. What is the purpose of the nationwide manuscript survey?
The survey aims to document manuscript collections across India to support conservation efforts and create a comprehensive digital repository.
3. How long will the manuscript survey take?
The nationwide survey is expected to be conducted over a period of three months.
4. What happens to the manuscripts after they are documented?
Identified manuscripts will be conserved and digitised, with many eventually uploaded to the Gyan Bharatam digital portal.
5. How many manuscripts have been digitised so far?
Over 7.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitised, with around 1.29 lakh already available on the portal.
