**Summary:**
The Ministry of Culture will host the inaugural international Manuscript Heritage Conference, titled "Reclaiming India's Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage," in September 2025. The conference commemorates the 132nd anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's address at the Parliament of the World's Religions. The event aims to unite scholars, historians, manuscript experts, and cultural practitioners to explore, preserve, and promote India's Manuscript Heritage.
Key themes include: decipherment of ancient scripts (Indus, Gilgit, and Sankha), survey/documentation/metadata standards/digital archiving, manuscriptology/paleography/codicology, digitization tools/platforms/protocols (HTR, AI, IIIF), manuscript conservation/restoration, decoding manuscripts for Indian knowledge systems, manuscripts as tools of cultural diplomacy, and legal/ethical frameworks for manuscript preservation/access.
The government's initiatives to preserve and promote manuscript heritage include supporting institutions like the Gyan Bharatam; organizing seminars, workshops, and conferences; supporting regional and local preservation efforts; and establishing MoUs with Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. As of 2025, 350,000 manuscripts have been digitized. There are 92 Manuscript Conservation Centres established (42 active) and 93 Manuscript Resource Centres (37 active).
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat provided this information. Contact Sunil Kumar Tiwari at pibcultureatgmaildotcom. Release ID: 2155153.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The government ministry responsible for cultural affairs and heritage preservation.
International Manuscript Heritage Conference: A conference focused on preserving and promoting India's manuscript heritage. Also known as "Reclaiming Indias Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage".
Swami Vivekananda: An Indian Hindu monk and philosopher, whose 132nd Anniversary of historic address at the Parliament of the World's Religions is being commemorated.
Parliament of the World's Religions: A global interfaith event where Swami Vivekananda delivered a historic address in 1893.
Chicago, Illinois: The city in the United States where the Parliament of the World's Religions was held in 1893.
Gyan Bharatam: An institution that works towards the Documentation, Conservation, Digitization, and Publication of rare and Unpublished Manuscripts across the country.
Vietnam: A country that has signed MoUs with the Government of India related to manuscript preservation.
Thailand: A country that has signed MoUs with the Government of India related to manuscript preservation.
Ministry of Culture
International Manuscript Heritage Conference
Posted On: 11 AUG 2025 6:06PM by PIB Delhi
The Government proposes to host the first-ever international Manuscript Heritage Conference titled
‘Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage’ in September 2025. This event is
planned to commemorate the 132nd Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic address at the Parliament
of the World's Religions held in Chicago on September 11, 1893.
The conference aims to bring together scholars, historians, manuscript experts, and cultural practitioners from
across the world to explore, preserve, and promote India’s vast and diverse Manuscript Heritage. Key themes
and focus areas of the conference include:
1. Decipherment of Ancient Scripts: Indus, Gilgit and Sankha
2. Survey, Documentation, Metadata Standards and Digital Archiving
3. Manuscriptology and Paleography, Codicology
4. Digitization Tools, Platforms, and Protocols (HTR, AI, IIIF)
5. Conservation and Restoration of Manuscripts
6. Decoding Manuscripts: Pathways to the Indian Knowledge System
7. Manuscripts as Tools of Cultural Diplomacy
8. Legal and Ethical Frameworks for Manuscript Preservation and Access
The Government has taken several measures to preserve and promote India’s rich manuscript heritage. Such
as:
1. Establishing and supporting institutions like the ‘Gyan Bharatam’ that works towards the
Documentation, Conservation, Digitization, and Publication of rare and Unpublished Manuscripts
across the country.
2. Organizing seminars, workshops, and conferences to raise awareness about the importance of
manuscript heritage and to encourage research and collaboration.
2. Supporting regional and local efforts to document and preserve manuscripts in various languages and
scripts.
3. National and International MoUs with Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan
These initiatives aim to safeguard India’s invaluable manuscript legacy and ensure it continues to
contribute to the nation’s cultural and intellectual heritage.
Since 2003, a total of 3.50 lakh Manuscripts has been digitized. There are 92 Manuscript Conservation
Centres established so far, of which 42 are presently active. Additionally, there are 93 Manuscript Resource
Centres, with 37 currently active.
This information was given by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh
Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.
***Sunil Kumar Tiwari
pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com
(Release ID: 2155153)