Hyderabad: In a landmark initiative to reclaim and globalize India’s ancient knowledge systems, the Centre launched the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a national movement dedicated to preserving, digitizing, and disseminating the country’s vast manuscript heritage.

The Mission was formally inaugurated at the three-day Gyan Bharatam International Conference held from September 11 to 13 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.

Organized by the Ministry of Culture, the conference brought together over 1,100 participants, including 500 delegates, 95 academics, 230 students, and 17 international speakers. The event marked a significant step in integrating India’s civilizational wisdom with cutting-edge technology, in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of “Viksit Bharat @2047.”

The Mission has been allocated Rs 482.85 crore for the period 2024–31, with Rs 60 crore earmarked for the current financial year. It builds upon the legacy of the National Mission for Manuscripts, which has already documented over 44.07 lakh manuscripts in the Kriti Sampada digital repository.

The conference featured 4 plenary sessions, 12 technical sessions, and multiple academic panels focused on themes such as manuscript conservation, digitization tools, AI-driven decipherment, cultural diplomacy, and legal frameworks. A special keynote session and valedictory ceremony highlighted the strategic roadmap for the Mission.

A major highlight was the launch of the Gyan-Setu National AI Innovation Challenge, inviting students, researchers, and startups to develop tools for cataloguing, script recognition, OCR, multilingual translation, and intelligent archiving. This initiative aims to transform fragile manuscripts into living digital resources accessible to scholars and citizens worldwide.

Pre-conference working groups were formed to address key areas, including conservation science, manuscriptology, paleography, and ethical access. These groups laid the foundation for long-term partnerships, curriculum integration, and global collaboration.

The Gyan Bharatam Mission is not just a preservation effort—it is a transformative blueprint to make India’s intellectual heritage a global asset. By combining tradition with innovation, the Mission aims to ensure that ancient manuscripts become part of modern learning, cultural pride, and international dialogue.