Over 7.5 lakh manuscripts digitised under Gyan Bharatam: Govt to LS

New Delhi: Over 7.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitised under the Gyan Bharatam initiative, with 1.29 lakh out of these available on its dedicated portal, the government informed Lok Sabha on Monday.

Gyan Bharatam, announced during Union Budget 2025-26, is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture, aimed at unearthing, safeguarding and preserving India’s vast manuscript heritage.

“Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the initiative seeks to harmonise cultural preservation with human capital development, ensuring that India’s ancient wisdom continues to inspire generations to come. To support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee has sanctioned Rs 491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031,” Union Culture minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat said in a written response to a query.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor and Nationalist Congress Party - Sharadchandra Pawar leader Amar Sharadrao Kale asked the minister the list of all institutions that have signed or are scheduled to sign Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs) under the

Gyan Bharatam mission, along with their categorisation as ‘cluster centres’ or ‘independent centres’.

The number of partner institutions assigned to each cluster centre in the country was also sought.