**Executive Summary**
This document presents the Ministry of Culture's response to questions regarding the preservation of India's ancient languages. It outlines the roles of autonomous bodies like the Sahitya Akademi and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, as well as the Gyan Bharatam Mission, in promoting, researching, and preserving ancient languages. The document also highlights an international conference scheduled for September 11-13, 2025.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Preservation Efforts:**
* The Ministry of Culture preserves India's ancient languages through autonomous bodies and flagship programs.
* The Gyan Bharatam Mission focuses on preserving, digitizing, and disseminating India's manuscript heritage.
* **Regional Centers:**
* Regional Centers of Sahitya Akademi and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts are functioning in Maharashtra.
* There are no plans to open additional cultural centers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.
* **Gyan Bharatam Mission Focus:**
* The Gyan Bharatam Mission focuses on the preservation and study of ancient Indian manuscripts, irrespective of script or language.
* The Mission focuses on five core verticals: Survey and Cataloguing, Conservation and Capacity Building, Technology and Digitization, Linguistics and Translation, Research, Publication, and Outreach.
* **Collaboration and Leveraging Existing Resources:**
* Existing centers and language programs are leveraged for the promotion of Indian languages under the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
* Institutions like the Sahitya Akademi and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts are continuously engaged through initiatives.
* **Infrastructure, Human Resources, and Capacities:**
* Infrastructure, human resources, and capacities are being planned for preservation efforts.
* The Ministry of Culture organized the Gyan Bharatam International Conference from September 11-13, 2025 in New Delhi.
* **Funding:**
* Funds released to Sahitya Akademi and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts for the years 2021-2022, 2022-2023, 2023-2024, and 2024-2025 are detailed in Annexure I.
**Impact Analysis**
**Sahitya Akademi and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts**
* **Impact:** These autonomous bodies are directly involved in the promotion, research, and preservation of India's ancient languages. They receive funding for these activities.
* **Action Required:** Continue to engage in initiatives and programs for the preservation and wider dissemination of ancient languages.
**Scholars, Experts, Institutions, and Cultural Practitioners**
* **Impact:** The Gyan Bharatam International Conference provides a platform for these stakeholders to discuss and collaborate on manuscript preservation and related topics.
* **Action Required:** Participate in the Gyan Bharatam International Conference to contribute to discussions and advancements in manuscript preservation.
**State Governments of Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh**
* **Impact:** The collaboration with the Government of India's institutions for cultural preservation and celebration in their regions.
* **Action Required:** Continue to collaborate with the Government of India and its institutions to celebrate and enrich the culture of the region.
Key Entities Referenced
Ministry of Culture: The primary ministry responsible for the preservation of ancient languages.
Gyan Bharatam Mission: A national movement dedicated to preserving, digitising, and disseminating India's vast manuscript heritage.
Sahitya Akademi: An autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture that promotes, researches, and preserves India's cultural heritage, including ancient languages.
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts: An autonomous body of the Ministry of Culture that promotes, researches, and preserves India's cultural heritage, including ancient languages.
Maharashtra: One of the states where regional centers of Sahitya Akademi and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts are functioning for the preservation of ancient languages.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF CULTURE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 243
TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026
PRESERVATION OF ANCIENT LANGUAGES
243. SMT. BHARTI PARDHI:
SHRI SHRIRANG APPA CHANDU BARNE:
DR. SHRIKANT EKNATH SHINDE:
SHRI RAVINDRA DATTARAM WAIKAR:
SHRI NARESH GANPAT MHASKE:
Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:
(a) the details of the fund allocated and utilized in preserving India’s ancient languages
through institutional responsibilities and the proposed timeline for the establishment
and operations of cultural centers in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra;
(b) the details of ancient languages, texts, manuscripts, inscriptions, oral traditions, etc. that
are likely to be preserved or studied under the upcoming centres;
(c) whether digitization, research, translation or teaching components are being included in
the preservation process, if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
(d) the manner in which such centers align with national policy frameworks or schemes;
(e) whether the existing centres of excellence or heritage language programmes are being
leveraged or integrated and if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(f) whether the infrastructure, human resource and archival capacity measures are being
planned to ensure adequate preservation, academic work and public engagement and if
so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM
(GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)
(a) to (d) The Ministry of Culture through its autonomous bodies such as Sahitya Akademi,
and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts promote, research, and preserve
the India’s cultural heritage of Ancient Languages, and also through its flagship
programmes, such as Gyan Bharatam Mission, preserves India’s Cultural Heritage
including ancient languages.
Regional Centres of Sahitya Akademi and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the
Arts are already functioning in Maharashtra. There is no such plan to openadditional cultural centres in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra. Both bodies
collaborate with other institutions of the Government of India and State
Governments including the Government of Maharashtra and Government of
Madhya Pradesh to celebrate the rich culture of the region.The details of funds
released to Sahitya Akademi and Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts in the
past 5 years is enclosed in Annexure – I.
The Gyan Bharatam Mission of the Government of India is launched as a visionary
national movement dedicated to preserving, digitising, and disseminating India’s
vast manuscript heritage.
The centres under the Gyan Bharatam Mission focus on the preservation and study
of ancient Indian manuscripts only, irrespective of script or language. Under the
existing framework there is focus on the five core verticals mentioned as below:
i. Survey and Cataloguing
ii. Conservation and Capacity Building
iii. Technology and Digitisation
iv. Linguistics and Translation
v. Research, Publication, and Outreach
The GBM signs Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with these Centres on case-
to-case basis, to carry out the activities aligned with National Policy Frameworks.
(e) Yes. Under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, existing centres and language programmes
are leveraged for the promotion of Indian languages, including ancient languages.
Institutions such as the Sahitya Akademi and the Indira Gandhi National Centre for
the Arts are being continuously engaged through initiatives like Gramalok and
recognitions such as Bhasha Samman. Further, programmes and awards dedicated
to ancient languages are organised annually to encourage their preservation and
wider dissemination.
(f) Yes, Infrastructure, human resource, and capacities are planned. In this regard, the
Ministry of Culture organized the first-ever Gyan Bharatam International
Conference on “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript
Heritage” from 11th – 13th September 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The
conference brought together over 1,000 participants, including scholars, experts,
institutions, and cultural practitioners from across the country and abroad.
Discussions centred on a wide range of themes—conservation and restoration of
manuscripts, survey and documentation standards, digitisation tools and platforms,
AI-driven innovations like Handwritten Text Recognition and script decipherment,
translation and publication frameworks, integration with education and culture,
capacity building in manuscriptology, and copyright and legal issues.
****Annexure – I
Funds Released to SahityaAkademi and
Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts)
S. No. Organisation Released Released Released Released
Name 2021–2022 2022–2023 2023–2024 2024-2025
1 SA 4368.85 4198.16 4356.59 4689.00
2 IGNCA 5330.00 22977.82 10910.00 7410.00