Reclaiming India’s knowledge legacy

The Gyan Bharatam International Conference, held recently at New Delhi, created a huge buzz globally. It was organized with the mission to preserve, digitise, and disseminate India’s rich manuscript heritage, ensuring it reaches future generations as a living legacy. Following the conclusion of this historic gathering, Smita Dwivedi, in conversation with Professor Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Programme Coordinator, Dean of Administration, and Head of the Kalanidhi Division at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, brings readers an in-depth account of the event, its key discussions, the Delhi Declaration, and the way forward for India’s manuscript heritage.

AABP: The conference has been widely described as historic. How would you summarise its significance?

Dr Gaur: Indeed, it was historic in every sense. For the first time, India organised an international conference dedicated entirely to manuscripts, our most authentic carriers of civilisational knowledge. Over the course of three days, we welcomed more than eleven hundred participants from India and abroad, including scholars, archivists, cultural practitioners, and young students.

The conference deliberated across eight working groups covering a wide spectrum of topics, including preservation and conservation techniques, digitisation, cataloguing, research methodologies, and outreach strategies. It was extremely heartening that the Prime Minister himself attended, engaging with the presentations of the working groups and guiding the discussions with his vision. The conference concluded with the Delhi Declaration, which represents a collective resolve to protect, digitise, and disseminate India’s manuscript wealth, transforming this initiative into a people’s movement.

AABP: How do you perceive Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s role and commitment in shaping this mission?

Dr Gaur: Prime Minister Modi has consistently emphasised that manuscripts are not relics of the past but a living legacy of India’s civilisation. He presented India’s knowledge tradition through four key pillars: Preservation, Innovation, Addition, and Adaptation. According to him, manuscripts reflect the footprints of humanity’s developmental journey, encompassing philosophy and science, medicine and metaphysics, art, astronomy, and architecture.

To illustrate the depth and breadth of India’s contributions, he cited several landmark manuscripts. The ‘Bakhshali manuscript’ offers early evidence of the concept of zero, while the ‘Charaka Samhita’ and ‘Sushruta Samhita’ form the foundation of Ayurveda. He also referenced the ‘Sulva Sutra’, highlighting early mathematical developments, and the ‘Natya Shastra’, a comprehensive treatise on the performing arts.

He described the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ as a proclamation of India’s culture, literature, and consciousness. He emphasised that this heritage must be preserved meticulously and shared widely, ensuring that the knowledge encoded in these manuscripts reaches future generations and strengthens India’s global cultural leadership.

AABP: Could you explain the Delhi Declaration and its significance?

Dr Gaur: The Delhi Declaration, also known as the Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra, is the most significant outcome of the conference. It affirms India as the land of the world’s richest manuscript traditions and commits the nation to preserving this heritage with a vision aligned to Viksit Bharat 2047. The Declaration sets out pledges which include preserving and digitising manuscripts across all scripts and languages, honouring custodians and institutions safeguarding them, encouraging community participation, and using technology to make manuscripts accessible to the world.

It also includes plans for repatriating manuscripts from abroad and establishing a National Digital Manuscripts Library. Each element of the Gyan Bharatam Mission is reflected in these pledges, forming a roadmap that is both poetic and powerful in its vision.

AABP: Could you explain the roadmap and structure of the Mission as it moves forward?

Dr Gaur: The Gyan Bharatam Mission is essentially a strengthened and restructured National Mission for Manuscripts, now supported with a budget allocation of 482.85 crore rupees for the period 2024 to 2031 under the Central Sector Scheme. Its objectives include surveying and documenting manuscripts nationwide, scientifically conserving and preserving them, large-scale digitisation—which has already resulted in three and a half lakh manuscripts being digitised with over one lakh thirty-five thousand uploaded on the Namami website—publication and research of rare manuscripts, capacity building in manuscriptology and conservation, and public outreach through exhibitions, festivals, and workshops.

The Mission also emphasises international collaboration. Manuscripts from Mongolia, Thailand, and Vietnam, for instance, are being digitised through Indian initiatives. This not only preserves these manuscripts but also strengthens India’s cultural diplomacy and international recognition.

AABP: How is India’s manuscript heritage being recognised globally, and what are the recent honours it has received?

Dr Gaur: India has been steadily working to secure international recognition for its cultural treasures. In April 2025, the manuscripts of the Bhagavad Gita and Bharat Muni’s Natya Shastra were officially added to the UNESCO Memory of the World Register. This is a moment of immense pride. The Bhagavad Gita is not merely a part of the Mahabharata; it is a timeless philosophical and spiritual guide, translated into nearly eighty languages and embraced worldwide. The Natya Shastra, authored by Bharat Muni, is the foundational text of Indian performing arts, covering theatre, dance, music, and aesthetics, and is globally recognised as one of the most comprehensive works on performance traditions.

With these additions, India now has fourteen inscriptions in the Register, including the Rigveda, Shantiniketan Archives, Tamil Medical Manuscripts, Gilgit Manuscripts, Ramcharitmanas, Panchatantra, and others. The inclusion of the Bhagavad Gita and Natya Shastra further underlines the significance of India’s ancient philosophical, literary, and artistic traditions as part of the world’s cultural heritage.

AABP: How is this Mission helping India preserve its manuscript heritage, and what key lessons or insights have emerged?

Dr Gaur: The conference was structured around thematic sessions each day. The first day focused on preservation and conservation, with experts discussing the current condition of manuscripts and innovative restoration methods. The second day, which was attended by the Prime Minister, emphasised digitisation and technology, with discussions on AI-assisted cataloguing, online access, and the development of the National Digital Manuscripts Library. The third day highlighted outreach and community engagement, stressing the importance of connecting manuscripts with students, researchers, and the general public.

The eight working groups presented research findings, new techniques, and collaborative projects. Each session was designed to translate scholarly work into actionable plans, culminating in the Delhi Declaration.

AABP: How is technology being used to enhance manuscript preservation and accessibility?

Dr Gaur: Technology plays a central role. High-resolution scanners, AI-assisted cataloguing, and interactive online platforms allow manuscripts to be accessed globally without physical handling, reducing wear and tear. Virtual reality and augmented reality applications are being explored for immersive experiences. Digitisation projects are ongoing not only in India but also in collaboration with international institutions. Technology thus enhances traditional preservation methods and opens India’s manuscript heritage to scholars worldwide.

AABP: On a concluding note, looking at India’s manuscript legacy as a whole, what are your reflections, and what key message would you like to leave for our readers?

Dr Gaur: Recent youth participation and involvement reassured me that India’s manuscript heritage is a living, dynamic legacy. We are not merely preserving manuscripts; we are preserving a part of humanity’s intellectual journey. Community involvement is crucial to transforming our Mission into a people’s movement, ensuring that manuscripts are accessible, appreciated, and integrated into daily cultural life. And this conference has set a strong foundation for preserving, celebrating, and sharing India’s knowledge legacy with future generations.

Gyan Bharatam Portal is LIVE

The Ministry of Culture has launched the Gyan Bharatam Portal, a first-of-its-kind AI-driven national repository aimed at preserving and promoting India’s rich manuscript heritage. The portal provides access to digitised manuscripts in 14 languages and allows users to explore region-wise collections.

With AI-powered multilingual translation, the portal makes centuries-old texts accessible to a wider audience. Citizens can also contribute manuscripts for digitisation, further supporting the preservation of India’s cultural legacy.

The portal is now live and can be accessed at www.gyanbharatam.com