New Delhi | July 31, 2026
In a major step toward safeguarding India’s ancient knowledge systems, the Ministry of Culture organized the National Digitization Drive Workshop under the flagship Gyan Bharatam Mission at The Ashok, New Delhi.
Addressing over 200 stakeholders—including representatives from States, Union Territories, manuscript custodians, scholars, and technology partners—Union Minister of Culture Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat announced that over 1.2 crore manuscripts have been reported across the country so far. Emphasizing the civilizational motto “jñānam paramam dhyeyam,” the Minister called for sustained national momentum, high precision, and disciplined execution to codify, categorize, and preserve these priceless texts for future generations.
Strategy & Implementation Framework
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Two-Phased Functional Approach: Outlined by Gyan Bharatam officials, the mission’s structure combines a technical phase (high-quality digital imaging and metadata standardization) with a scholastic phase (rigorous textual validation and categorization across disciplines such as Ayurveda, mathematics, philosophy, and yoga).
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Concurrent Conservation & Infrastructure Funding: Recognizing the fragile state of many physical documents, the Ministry confirmed that physical conservation and digital archiving will proceed simultaneously, with direct funding provided to States and specialized Centres for equipment and trained manpower.
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National Digital Manuscript Ecosystem: The Ministry showcased an upcoming unified, AI-enabled digital repository featuring automated access policies and scalable archival models.
Event Summary & Governance Highlights
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Nodal Event: National Digitization Drive Workshop (Gyan Bharatam Mission)
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Organizing Authority: Ministry of Culture, Government of India
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Key Leadership Present: Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat (Union Minister of Culture), Shri Vivek Aggarwal (Secretary, Culture), Shri Samar Nanda (Joint Secretary), Shri Inderjeet Singh (Director, Gyan Bharatam), Prof. Anirban Dash (Project Director)
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Major Milestone: 1.2+ Crore manuscripts reported nationwide
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Participating Institutions: BORI Pune, Asiatic Society Kolkata, Vrindavan Research Institute, KOBA Gujarat, Sevadhi Kerala, Jamia Hamdard Delhi, alongside state delegations from Rajasthan and Jammu & Kashmir
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Domain: Manuscriptology, Cultural Heritage Conservation, Digital Infrastructure & AI Integration
