**Summary:**
In response to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 2376, the Ministry of Culture confirms the launch of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a revamped National Manuscripts Mission (NMM). This initiative aims to survey, document, conserve, digitize, and provide accessibility to over one crore manuscripts held within academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collections throughout India. The mission includes large-scale digitization to establish a National Digital Repository, targeting the digitization of one crore manuscripts over the next five years. The Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, provided this information. The mission falls under the purview of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The Indian government ministry responsible for the preservation and promotion of art and culture.
Lok Sabha: The lower house of the Parliament of India.
Shri VKSreekandan: Member of Parliament who raised the question in the Lok Sabha.
National Manuscripts Mission: A mission focused on surveying, documenting, conserving, and digitizing India's manuscript heritage.
Gyan Bharatam Mission: A major initiative under the Ministry of Culture aimed at surveying, documenting, conserving, digitizing, and making accessible more than one crore manuscripts across India.
Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat: Minister of Culture and Tourism, who provided the answer to the question in the Lok Sabha.
India: The country where the manuscripts are located and where the mission is being implemented.
National Digital Repository: A central digital archive to be created for wider accessibility to digitized manuscripts.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION No. 2376
TO BE ANSWERED ON 04.08.2025
Digitization of Manuscripts under NMM
2376. Shri VKSreekandan:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
(a) whether it is a fact that the Government has launched the revamped National
Manuscripts Mission (NMM), if so, the details thereof;
(b) whether it is true that the Mission expected to cover more than one crore manuscripts,
would be responsible for the survey, documentation and conservation of India’s
manuscript heritage lying with academic institutions, museums, libraries and private
collectors;
(c) whether it is also true that the manuscripts will be digitized with the help of the National
Manuscripts Mission; and
(d) if so, the targets fixed for the digitalization of manuscripts under the said Mission?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) Yes Sir. Government has launched Gyan Bharatam Mission as a major initiative
under the Ministry of Culture. It aims to Survey, Document, Conserve, Digitize, and
make accessible more than One Crore Manuscripts located in academic Institutions,
Museums, Libraries, and Private collections across India.
(b) Yes Sir. The Government intends to cover more than one crore Manuscripts, and to
conduct the Survey, Documentation, and Conservation of India’s Manuscript heritage
housed in academic Institutions, Museums, Libraries, and Private collections.
(c) & (d) Yes Sir. Digitization is a core objective of the Gyan Bharatam Mission. The
Mission explicitly includes “Digitization: Large scale digitization of manuscripts to
create a National Digital Repository for a wider accessibility” as one of its key goals.
The mission has set a target to digitize one crore manuscripts over the next five years.
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