**Executive Summary**
The Gyan Bharatam Mission, announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, is a Ministry of Culture (MoC) initiative focused on preserving India's manuscript heritage and aligning it with the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. The Standing Finance Committee (SFC) has sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for the initiative spanning the period 2025-2031. The mission aims to establish a nationwide network of Cluster Centers (CCs) and Independent Centers (ICs) and focuses on five verticals: Survey and Cataloguing, Conservation and Capacity Building, Technology and Digitization, Linguistics and Translation, and Research, Publication, and Outreach.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Gyan Bharatam Mission Overview:**
* Flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture (MoC) to safeguard and preserve India's manuscript heritage.
* Aligned with Viksit Bharat 2047, harmonizing cultural preservation with human capital development.
* Five verticals: Survey & Cataloguing, Conservation & Capacity Building, Technology & Digitization, Linguistics & Translation, and Research, Publication & Outreach.
* Establishment of nation-wide network of Cluster Centers (CCs) and Independent Centers (ICs).
* **Financial Allocation:**
* Rs.491.66 crore sanctioned by the Standing Finance Committee (SFC) for the period 2025-2031.
* **Digitization Progress:**
* Over 7.5 Lakh manuscripts digitized; 1.29 Lakh available on Gyan Bharatam Portal (https://gyanbharatam.com).
* **Digitization Standards:**
* Strict imaging norms for preservation and high-quality outputs.
* Minimum 400 DPI (600 DPI where required), 24-bit color scanning with non-destructive face-up overhead scanners with cold light.
* Mandatory image post-processing, including de-skewing, cropping, light equalization, and noise removal with manual verification.
* Master files in TIFF v 6.0 (LZW compressed); access copies in JPEG; searchable copies in PDF/A with watermark.
* Long-term storage through LTO-9 tapes with cloud-based backup and disaster recovery.
* Building a fully functional, AI-integrated digital platform and mobile application.
* Metadata capture at descriptive, structural, technical, and administrative levels.
* Metadata supplied in CSV and XML formats.
* **Implementation Status:**
* 45 Centers onboarded to carry out activities across the five verticals.
* 20 States/UTs onboarded as Nodal Coordinating Authority.
* Manual on preservation and conservation framed and shared with experts.
* Survey app developed and shared.
* Technical partners onboarded for metadata creation and integration on National Digital Repository (NDR).
* Deployment of scanners & equipments to be deployed across designated centres for digitization of manuscripts.
* Providing continuous hot, cold, cloud-based storage hosting, backup and security support.
* Data storage using LTO-9 tape for long term archival and disaster recovery management.
**Impact Analysis**
**Ministry of Culture (MoC)**
*Impact*
Responsible for implementing and overseeing the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
*Action Required*
Continue to provide guidance and support for the mission's objectives.
**Cluster Centers (CCs) and Independent Centers (ICs)**
*Impact*
Play a key role in digitizing manuscripts and carrying out the mission's activities.
*Action Required*
Adhere to the specified digitization standards and metadata protocols.
**States and Union Territories**
*Impact*
Participate as Nodal Coordinating Authorities for the mission's implementation.
*Action Required*
Facilitate the implementation of Gyan Bharatam within their respective jurisdictions.
**Technical Partners**
*Impact*
Responsible for metadata creation, integration on National Digital Repository (NDR), deploying scanners & equipments to be deployed across designated centres for digitization of manuscripts.
*Action Required*
Ensure proper and consistent metadata creation and support digital platform functionality.
Key Entities Referenced
Gyan Bharatam: A flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture (MoC) to unearth, safeguard, and preserve India's vast manuscript heritage.
Ministry of Culture (MoC): The central ministry responsible for initiating and overseeing the Gyan Bharatam program.
Viksit Bharat 2047: The national vision aligned to which Gyan Bharatam seeks to harmonize cultural preservation with human capital development.
Cluster Centers (CCs) and Independent Centers (ICs): The nation-wide network mandated under Gyan Bharatam for digitization and cataloging of manuscripts.
Ministry of Culture
GYAN BHARATAM MISSION
Posted On: 02 FEB 2026 3:30PM by PIB Delhi
Gyan Bharatam, announced during Union Budget 2025-26, is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of
Culture (MoC), Government of India aimed at unearthing, safeguarding and preserving India’s vast
manuscript heritage. Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the initiative seeks to
harmonize cultural preservation with human capital development, ensuring that India’s ancient wisdom
continues to inspire generations to come. To support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee (SFC)
has sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031. This initiative focuses on five verticals namely
(i) Survey and Cataloguing (ii) Conservation and Capacity Building (iii) Technology and Digitization (iv)
Linguistics and Translation (v) Research, Publication, and Outreach.
Gyan Bharatam has been mandated to establish a nation-wide network of Cluster Centers (CCs) and
Independent Centers (ICs) across the country. A list of CCs and ICs onboarded so far is annexed.
More than 7.5 Lakh manuscripts have been digitized under Gyan Bharatam, out of which, 1.29 Lakh
manuscripts are available on Gyan Bharatam Portal i.e. https://gyanbharatam.com.
(The Key technical and quality standards and metadata protocols for digitization and cataloguing of
manuscripts are:
1. Strict imaging norms to ensure preservation and high-quality digital outputs.
2. Minimum 400 DPI, 24-bit colour scanning (600 DPI where required) using non-destructive face-up
overhead scanners with cold light.
3. Mandatory image post-processing includes de-skewing, cropping, light equalization, and the
removal of digital “noise” like worm-marks or stain-marks while maintaining color integrity and
100% manual quality verification.
4. Master files in TIFF v 6.0 (LZW compressed); access copies in JPEG; searchable copies in PDF/A
with indelible watermark.
5. Long-term storage through LTO-9 tapes with cloud-based backup and disaster recovery.
6. Building a fully functional, AI-integrated digital platform and mobile application.
7. Metadata Capture levels: Descriptive metadata (content), Structural metadata (navigation),
Technical metadata, Administrative metadata-incorporating manuscript content details, details on
original source, institutional details, locative region, language, script, conservation status, date of
creation, version of digital object, file format used, compression technology used, object
relationship, etc.
8. Metadata supplied in CSV and XML formats with each digitization batch.
Following measures have been taken in this regard:
(i) 45 Centers have been onboarded so far to carry out the activities outlined under Gyan
Bhatamam initiative on aforesaid five verticals.(ii) 20 States / UTs have also been onboarded so far to act as the Nodal Coordinating Authority
for Gyan Bharatam implementation within the State / UT concerned.
(iii) A detailed manual on preservation and conservation has also been framed and shared with
esteemed conservation experts for feedback.
(iv) Survey app has been developed and shared with stakeholders for feedback.
(v) Technical partners have been on boarded for:
Basic level metadata creation and its integration on National Digital Repository (NDR) and to facilitate
integration of manuscripts and its metadata for global accessibility via NDR.
Deployment of scanners & equipments to be deployed across designated centres for digitization of
manuscripts.
Building a fully functional, AI-integrated digital platform and mobile application.
Providing continuous hot, cold, cloud-based storage hosting, backup and security support.
Data storage using LTO-9 tape for long term archival and disaster recovery management.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in
a written reply in Lok Sabha today
***
M Annadurai
Annexure
Cluster Centres (28)
S. State Organization Name
No
1 Assam Dept. of Sanskrit, Assam University, Silchar
2 Nava Nalanda Mahavihar, Nalanda
Bihar
3 Patna Musuem, Patna
4 University Library Jamia Hamdard
Delhi
5 Central Sanskrit University
6 Shruta Ratnakara, Ahmedabad
Gujarat
7 Oriental Institute, The Maharaja Sayajirao University of Baroda,
Vadodara
8 Himachal Pradesh Himachal State Museum, Shimla9 Dept. of Persian, University of Kashmir, Srinagar
J & K
10 Shasvat Art Gallery Jammu
11 Karnataka Samskriti Foundation, Mysuru
12 Oriental Research Institute, Mysuru
13 Kerala Oriental Research Institute & Manuscript Library, University of
Kerala, Thiruvananthapuram
14 Ladakh Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Leh
15 Manipur Manipur State Archives
16 Madhya Pradesh Department of Sanskrit, Dr. Hari Singh Gour University, Sagar
17 Kavi Kulaguru Kalidas Sanskrit University, Nagpur
Maharashtra
18 Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Pune
19 Odisha SARASVATI Bhadrak
20 Department of Sanskrit, Utkal University, Bhubaneswar
21 Rajasthan Sanskrit Academy, Jaipur
Rajasthan
22 Vishwa Gurudeep Ashram Shodha Sansthan, Jaipur
23 Sikkim Namgyal Institute of Tibetology, Gangtok
24 Telangana Telangana State Archives & Research Institute, Hyderabad
25 Uttar Pradesh Vrindavan Research Institute, Vrindavan
26 Shri Laxmidhar Acharya Chakradhar Joshi Vidyamandir Shodh
Uttarakhand Sansthan (SLACJVMSS), Nakshatra Vedhshala, Devprayag
27 University of Patanjali
28 West Bengal The Asiatic Society, KolkataIndependent Centres (17)
1 Andhra Pradesh Sanatan Jeevan Trust, Tirupati
2 Bihar Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library, Patna
3 Bodh Gaya Math, Gaya
4 Gujarat Adhyatma Parivar Trust, Surat
5 Haryana Kurukshetra University, Kurukshetra
6 Karnataka Tara Prakashan Vedic Library & Research Centre, Bangaluru
7 Kerala Sevadhi Museum & Ideological Research Institute, Kottayam
8 Chinmaya International Foundation, Ernakulam
9 Anandashram Samsthan, Pune
Maharashtra
10 Bharat Itihas Sanshodhak Mandal Sadashiv Peth, Pune
11 Anekant Gyan Mandir Bina
Madhya Pradesh
12 Scindia Oriental Research Institute, Ujjain
13 Abhay Jain Granthalaya, Bikaner
Rajasthan
14 Rajasthan Oriental Research Institute, Jodhpur
15 Padmashri Narayan Das Pandulipi Shodh Sansthan, Jaipur
16 Nagari Pracharini Sabha, Varanasi
Uttar Pradesh
17 Hindi Sahitya Sammelan, Prayagraj
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