**Executive Summary**
The document outlines the Government of India's response to questions regarding the "Gyan Bharatam" initiative, a national project aimed at preserving, digitizing, and disseminating India's manuscript heritage. The initiative, announced in the Union Budget on February 1, 2025, involves collaboration with various institutions and aims to cover over one crore manuscripts. The Standing Finance Committee has sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for the project from 2025 to 2031.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Gyan Bharatam Initiative:**
* Launched on February 1, 2025, by the Ministry of Culture (MoC).
* Aims to survey, document, conserve, digitize, and disseminate India’s manuscript heritage.
* Envisages collaboration with academic institutions, museums, libraries, and private collectors.
* Target: Over one crore manuscripts.
* Will establish a National Digital Repository supported by advanced technology and AI.
* Budget: Rs.491.66 crore sanctioned for the period 2025-2031.
* **Implementation:**
* Gyan Bharatam Digital Web Portal launched.
* Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) signed with 31 institutions (19 Cluster Centers and 12 Independent Centers).
* Focuses on five core verticals: Survey & Cataloguing; Conservation & Capacity Building; Technology & Digitization; Linguistics & Translation and Research, Publication & Outreach.
* Technology partners finalized to support centers.
* Approximately 3.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitized.
* **Delhi Declaration (Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra):**
* Sets a national commitment for preserving and revitalizing India's manuscript heritage.
* Unites institutions, scholars, communities, and private custodians.
* Calls for modern conservation practices and large-scale digital access.
* Aims to bring traditional knowledge into contemporary relevance and promote global collaboration.
* **Regional Scope:**
* Gyan Bharatam is a Pan-India initiative.
* MoU signed with Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh.
* **Promotion of Arts:**
* Sangeet Natak Akademi (under MoC) organizes events to promote and preserve classical, traditional, tribal, and folk performing arts, including Odissi Dance, Odissi Music, and Sambalpuri Dance.
* The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Kolkata (under MoC) promotes the folk art of its member states, including Sambalpuri Dance.
**Impact Analysis**
**Academic Institutions, Museums, Libraries, and Private Collectors**
* **Impact**: Involvement in surveying, documenting, conserving, and digitizing manuscripts. Collaboration in establishing a National Digital Repository.
* **Action Required**: Participation in the Gyan Bharatam initiative, signing MoUs, and contributing to the digitization and preservation efforts.
**Scholars and Researchers**
* **Impact**: Access to a vast digital repository of manuscripts, opportunities for research, and potential for renewed interest in traditional knowledge.
* **Action Required**: Utilize the digitized resources for research, contribute to the interpretation and dissemination of knowledge contained in the manuscripts.
**Artists and Cultural Organizations (Especially those involved in Odissi and Sambalpuri dance/music)**
* **Impact**: Promotion and preservation of their art forms through events and festivals organized by Sangeet Natak Akademi and EZCC.
* **Action Required**: Participate in events and workshops, contribute to the preservation and promotion of Odissi and Sambalpuri art forms.
**Citizens of India**
* **Impact**: Increased access to India’s cultural heritage, promotion of national identity, and global recognition of India’s contribution to manuscript-based learning.
* **Action Required**: Engage with the initiative, explore digitized manuscripts, and participate in cultural events promoting Indian heritage.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture (MoC): The primary ministry responsible for the Gyan Bharatam Initiative.
Gyan Bharatam Initiative: A national initiative by the Ministry of Culture aimed at preserving, digitalizing, and disseminating India's manuscript heritage.
Delhi Declaration (Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra): A national commitment within the Gyan Bharatam initiative for preserving and revitalizing India's manuscript heritage.
Sangeet Natak Akademi: Autonomous organization under the MoC which promotes performing arts including Odissi Dance and Music, under the Gyan Bharatam Initiative.
Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Kolkata: Autonomous organization under MoC which promotes folk art, including Sambalpuri Dance, under the Gyan Bharatam Initiative.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1359
ANSWERED ON 08.12.2025
GYAN BHARATAM INITIATIVE
†1359. Shri Biplab Kumar Deb:
Shri Pratap Chandra Sarangi:
Shri Bunty Vivek Sahu:
Shri Saumitra Khan:
Will the Minister of Culture be pleased to state:
(a) the details and objectives of the "Gyan Bharatam" national initiatives launched by the Government to
preserve, digitalize and disseminate India's manuscript heritage;
(b) whether any technical and institutional measures are being undertaken under the mission for
cataloguing, conservation, digitalization and public access to manuscripts;
(c) if so, the details thereof along with status of its implementation, associate institutions and number of
digitalized manuscripts so far and regional cooperation;
(d) the details of the key highlights, commitments and targets adopted in the Delhi Declaration (Gyan
Bharatam Sankalp Patra) and the manner in which it seeks to transform the preservation, revitalization,
global publicity of India's manuscript heritage;
(e) whether museums, universities or research institutes of Madhya Pradesh especially Chhindwara have
been included in the said initiative, if so, the details thereof; and
(f) the details of the steps taken/being taken to protect and promote Odissi dance, Odissi Sangeeta and
Sambalpuri dance?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(SHRI GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) Gyan Bharatam, the flagship initiative of Ministry of Culture (MoC), Government of India announced
in the Union Budget (Para 84) on 1st February, 2025, aimed at surveying, documenting, conserving,
digitizing and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage. The initiative envisages collaboration with
academic institutions, museums, libraries and private collectors to cover more than one crore manuscripts,
while establishing a National Digital Repository supported by advanced technology and Artificial
Intelligence to ensure access and global reach. To support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee
(SFC) has sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031.
(b) & (c) The Gyan Bharatam Digital Web Portal has been launched by the Hon’ble Prime Minister of
India. Memorandum of Understandings (MoU) have been signed with 31 institutions, of which 19 Centres
will serve as Cluster Centres and 12 Centres as Independent Centres,working across Gyan Bharatam’s five core verticals: Survey & Cataloguing; Conservation & Capacity
Building; Technology & Digitization; Linguistics & Translation and Research, Publication & Outreach.
Technology partners have been finalized to support Cluster Centres and Independent Centres across the
country. Approximately 3.5 lakh Manuscripts have been digitized in Gyan Bharatam.
(d) The Delhi Declaration (Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra) sets out a national commitment for
preserving, digitizing and revitalizing India’s vast manuscript heritage by uniting institutions, scholars,
communities and private custodians. Emphasizing manuscripts as the living memory of India’s
civilization, it calls for modern conservation practices, large-scale digital access and renewed research
to bring traditional knowledge into contemporary relevance. By transforming heritage preservation into
a people’s movement and promoting global collaboration, the Declaration plays a transformative role in
safeguarding diverse scripts and knowledge traditions while positioning India as a global centre for
manuscript-based learning.
(e) Gyan Bharatam is a Pan India initiative and therefore, its scope is not confined to any specific
State or region of the country. Accordingly, MoU has been signed with Dr. Harisingh Gour University,
Sagar, Madhya Pradesh under the Gyan Bharatam initiative.
(f) Sangeet Natak Akademi, an autonomous organization under MoC, organizes festivals,
workshops, exhibitions, and other programmes to promote and preserve India’s classical, traditional,
tribal and folk performing arts, including Odissi Dance, Odissi Music and Sambalpuri Dance. It also
holds music festivals, seminars and workshops and confers national honours such as the Sangeet Natak
Akademi Award and the Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar to artists of Odissi Dance and Odissi
Music.
The Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Kolkata, an autonomous organization under MoC,
promotes the folk art of its member states, including in Odisha and regularly showcases Sambalpuri
Dance (a vibrant folk dance form) through cultural events and festivals.
*****