Gyan Bharatam Mission Identifies Over 1.19 Crore Manuscripts Across India
New Delhi, July 27 (TNT): The Gyan Bharatam Mission (GBM) has identified more than 1.19 crore manuscripts across the country through the National Manuscript Survey launched in March 2026, the Centre said on Monday.
Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha, said the survey was conducted across all States and Union Territories to identify and document manuscript collections, repositories and custodians representing diverse languages and scripts.
The Union Minister said GBM has been mandated to establish a nationwide network of Cluster Centres (CCs) and Independent Centres (ICs) for effective implementation of the mission. These centres are selected based on criteria including the size and significance of manuscript collections, institutional capacity, availability of qualified manpower and infrastructure, regional representation and experience in manuscript-related activities.
He said more than 8 lakh manuscripts have been digitised across the country so far, of which over 3.90 lakh manuscripts are available on the Gyan Bharatam portal for public access in view mode.
The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a pan-India initiative focused on the cataloguing, conservation, digitisation, research, publication and dissemination of India’s manuscript heritage, irrespective of script, language, dialect, tradition, community or geographical location.
For implementing the mission, Cluster Centres and Independent Centres are being provided grant-in-aid support to undertake manuscript-related activities.
The government has also identified centres in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana as part of the initiative.
The union Minister said eligible repositories holding manuscripts are considered for onboarding under GBM guidelines, subject to physical verification, institutional readiness, availability of resources and funds.
The mission aims to preserve India’s rich manuscript heritage and make knowledge resources accessible through systematic documentation, conservation and digitisation efforts.
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