{"id":69206,"date":"2026-03-17T17:57:27","date_gmt":"2026-03-17T12:27:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=69206"},"modified":"2026-03-17T18:34:57","modified_gmt":"2026-03-17T13:04:57","slug":"manuscript-heritage-india","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/17-03-2026\/manuscript-heritage-india","title":{"rendered":"India to Begin Mapping Its Manuscript Heritage"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS1\/ Culture<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The Ministry of Culture <\/strong>has launched a first-of-its-kind, three-month nationwide survey to map India\u2019s vast manuscript heritage.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The initiative is part of the<strong> Gyan Bharatam Mission,<\/strong> announced in the Union Budget 2025\u201326.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Gyan Bharatam Mission<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Gyan Bharatam Mission:<\/strong> It is a national mission for the survey, documentation, digitisation and dissemination of India\u2019s manuscript heritage and traditional knowledge systems, including creation of a<strong> National Digital Repository.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>To support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) has sanctioned <strong>Rs.491.66 crore <\/strong>for the period<strong> 2025-2031.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img data-dominant-color=\"f5f3f2\" data-has-transparency=\"false\" loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"383\" src=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-94-1024x383.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"not-transparent wp-image-69207\" style=\"--dominant-color: #f5f3f2; aspect-ratio:2.6736957278559705;width:500px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-94-1024x383.png 1024w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-94-300x112.png 300w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-94-768x287.png 768w, https:\/\/wp-images.nextias.com\/cdn-cgi\/image\/format=auto\/ca\/uploads\/2026\/03\/image-94.png 1077w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Significance of the initiative<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Preservation of Heritage: <\/strong>Digitisation and documentation will protect fragile manuscripts from deterioration and loss.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Research Accessibility: <\/strong>A centralised repository will enable easier access for scholars and the public.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Curbing Intellectual Piracy:<\/strong> Proper records and metadata will help establish authenticity and prevent misuse.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cultural Revival: <\/strong>Greater visibility will promote India\u2019s literary and knowledge traditions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>What are Manuscripts<\/strong><strong>?<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A manuscript is a handwritten composition on materials such as <strong>palm leaf, birch bark, cloth, paper, or even metal,<\/strong> dating back at least <strong>seventy-five years<\/strong>\u00a0 and carrying significant historical, scientific, or aesthetic value.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It represents India\u2019s <strong>cultural consciousness and knowledge systems.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Gilgit Manuscripts<\/strong> written between the <strong>5&#8243;-6&#8243; centuries CE<\/strong>, is the oldest surviving manuscript collection in India.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is written in the <strong>Buddhist hybrid Sanskrit language<\/strong> of the <strong>Gupta Brahmi and Post Gupta Brahmi script<\/strong> of that period.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The manuscripts include Buddhist works that throw light on the evolution of <strong>Sanskrit, Chinese, Korean, Japanese, Mongolian, Manchu and Tibetan religion-philosophical literature.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Other measures to conserve Manuscript Heritage<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>National Mission for Manuscripts, <\/strong>established in <strong>2003<\/strong> has documented over 44.07 lakh manuscripts through its ambitious digital repository, <strong>Kriti Sampada.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Abhilekh Patal<\/strong> is an initiative of the <strong>National Archives of India<\/strong> to provide online access to over a million files, including a significant collection of <strong>manuscripts, <\/strong>oriental records, and private papers.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Gyan-Setu:<\/strong> It<strong> <\/strong>was launched as a national challenge to source AI-led solutions for manuscript preservation, decipherment, restoration and access.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972:<\/strong> It seeks to prevent the illegal export and smuggling of India\u2019s cultural heritage, including valuable manuscripts.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Manuscripts and records qualify as antiquities if they are at least <strong>75 years old.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>UNESCO Memory of the World Programme: <\/strong>It recognises and promotes preservation of documentary heritage, including rare manuscripts.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<p><strong>National Archives of India<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The National Archives of India was established in <strong>1891<\/strong> in <strong>Kolkata <\/strong>(Calcutta) as the <strong>Imperial Record Department.\u00a0<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Following the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, the building of the National Archives of India was constructed in 1926 which was designed by <strong>Sir Edwin Lutyens.\u00a0<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The transfer of all records from Calcutta to New Delhi was completed in <strong>1937.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is also the nodal agency for the implementation of the <strong>Public Records Act, 1993<\/strong> and <strong>Public Record Rules, 1997.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/timesofindia.indiatimes.com\/india\/in-a-first-india-to-map-its-manuscript-heritage-from-today\/articleshow\/129595570.cms\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\"><strong>TOI<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p><strong> Context <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> The Ministry of Culture has launched a first-of-its-kind, three-month nationwide survey to map India\u2019s vast manuscript heritage. <\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<p><strong> Gyan Bharatam Mission <\/strong><\/p>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> Gyan Bharatam Mission: It is a national mission for the survey, documentation, digitisation and dissemination of India\u2019s manuscript heritage and traditional knowledge systems, including creation of a National Digital Repository. <\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\"> To support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) has sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031. <\/li>\n<p><a href=\" https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/17-03-2026\/manuscript-heritage-india \" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-69206","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69206","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69206"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69206\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":69210,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69206\/revisions\/69210"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69206"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69206"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69206"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}