Context:
Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to launch the revamped National Manuscripts Mission, now rebranded as Gyan Bharatam Mission, on June 9, 2025.The initiative was announced in the Union Budget earlier this year, with a significant increase in financial backing and institutional restructuring.

A Renaissance of India's Ancient Knowledge

• India’s unparalleled manuscript heritage is poised for a historic revival. With the launch of Gyan Bharatam Mission, the government aims to digitise, conserve, and make accessible over one crore manuscripts from across the country. The mission represents a strategic national effort to preserve and promote India’s intellectual traditions, with a modern and structured approach to archival and digital preservation.

From National Manuscripts Mission to Gyan Bharatam:

Launched in 2003 under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), the National Manuscripts Mission (NMM) set out to document and conserve India’s vast collection of manuscripts. However, over the years, its progress remained modest due to institutional challenges and limited outreach.

• Metadata was created for 52 lakh manuscripts
• 3 lakh manuscripts were digitised
• Only 1.3 lakh were uploaded online, and just 70,000 are publicly accessible

One of the core issues was the lack of a clear policy framework to engage private manuscript holders, who possess around 80% of India’s manuscript wealth.

A Bold New Vision: Gyan Bharatam Mission

To overcome past limitations, the 2025 Union Budget allocated ?60 crore for the revamped initiative—an exponential rise from the earlier ?3.5 crore. The new mission introduces a more comprehensive and technologically integrated roadmap, including:

• A nationwide survey and documentation drive covering institutions, libraries, museums, and private collectors
• Digitisation and conservation of rare and fragile manuscripts
• Establishment of an autonomous body to lead the mission, independent of IGNCA, ensuring operational agility

Bridging Gaps and Building Access

Despite two decades of groundwork, key challenges persist:

• Manuscripts in private collections remain largely inaccessible due to unclear ownership and access policies
• Digitisation efforts have fallen short of the mission’s scale
• Public awareness—especially among youth—about India’s manuscript legacy is minimal

The Gyan Bharatam Mission seeks to change this by introducing:

• Incentives for private collectors to share their holdings
• A clear access and copyright policy
• A centralised, open-access digital repository
• Nationwide efforts in preventive conservation, building on the 9 crore folios preserved over the past 21 years

Cultural and Strategic Importance

• The launch of the Gyan Bharatam Mission aligns with India’s broader push towards cultural resurgence, language revitalisation, and heritage-based development. As part of the ‘Viksit Bharat’ vision, the initiative aims to integrate ancient knowledge systems with contemporary platforms, making them relevant and accessible for future generations.
• By reconnecting with its manuscript traditions, India is not only preserving its past but also laying the intellectual foundation for a knowledge-driven future.