New ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ for manuscripts announced in the Union Budget 2025-26

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The mission aims to preserve and protect manuscripts found across the country.

About Gyan Bharatam Mission

Objective: To undertake the “survey, documentation and conservation” of more than one crore manuscript heritage lying with academic institutions, museums, libraries, etc.
Significance of Mission: Preserving historical value, unveiling ancient Indian knowledge to world, ensuring longevity and round-the-clock access of Manuscripts, etc.
To accommodate the new mission, budget allocation for National Manuscripts Mission (NMM) has been hiked from Rs. 3.5 crore to Rs.60 crore.

A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, bark, palm leaf etc. dating back at least 75 years that has significant scientific, historical or aesthetic value.
- E.g. Bakhshali manuscript ( Third or fourth century A.D.), an ancient Indian mathematical text written on birch bark, is considered to be earliest recorded example of use of zero.
Lithographs (Drawing on a stone and then transferring the image to paper) and printed volumes are not manuscripts.
Themes can include history, religion, literature, astrology, and agricultural practices.
India possesses an estimated 10 million manuscripts in 80 ancient scripts like Brahmi, Kushan, Gaudi, Lepcha, and Maithili.
- Of these 75% are in Sanskrit and 25% are in regional languages.

National Manuscripts Mission (NMM): Launched In 2003, by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture to locate and preserve manuscripts.
National Library of India, Kolkata: It has about 3600 rare and historically important manuscripts.
Asiatic Society of Bengal: Founded on Jan. 15, 1784, by Sir William Jones, undertakes digitization of ancient manuscripts.