Parliamentary Committee Flags Slow Digitisation of Manuscripts Under Gyan Bharatam Mission

Why in news

The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture flagged delays in the Gyan Bharatam Mission's goal to digitize manuscripts.

Background

The Gyan Bharatam Mission was launched in September 2025 with a target to digitize 1 crore manuscripts by 2030. As of August 2026, only 7.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitized, with costs escalating from ₹3.50 crore to ₹60 crore.

Facts for Prelims

• SchemeGyan Bharatam Mission: A government initiative to digitize manuscripts for cultural preservation.
• FactTarget: 1 crore manuscripts to be digitized by 2030.
• FactCurrent progress: 7.5 lakh manuscripts digitized as of August 2026.

For Mains

Q. Discuss the significance of digitizing cultural heritage in preserving India's history and the challenges faced in large-scale manuscript preservation projects.

Dimensions to cover in your answer

• preservation of intangible heritage
• technological hurdles
• cost-benefit analysis
• community participation

Keywords: cultural preservation · digital archiving · heritage management · public-private partnership

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