International Conference on Gyan Bharatam | 13 Sep 2025

Why in News?

Prime Minister Narendra Modi participated in the International Conference on Gyan Bharatam in New Delhi and launched the Gyan Bharatam Portal, a dedicated digital platform aimed at advancing the digitisation, preservation, and public access to India’s vast manuscript heritage.

International Conference on Gyan Bharatam

• Objective: The conference sought to rejuvenate India’s manuscript heritage and position it at the heart of global knowledge discussions.
• Event Duration: The three-day conference, held from 11th to 13th September 2025, with the theme "Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage," concluded with the adoption of the Delhi Declaration.
  • The inaugural international conference coincided with the 132nd anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic address at the Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago in 1893.
  • An exhibition of rare manuscripts was held, alongside scholarly presentations on conservation and digitisation.
• Focus Areas: Working groups addressed key topics such as decipherment of ancient scripts, survey and documentation, digitisation tools, conservation and restoration, and legal and ethical issues.

Gyan Bharatam Project

• About: Launched as the Gyan Bharatam Mission, it will be headquartered in New Delhi under the Ministry of Culture.
• Objective: It aims to establish an institution similar to the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) but for manuscript preservation and interpretation. 
  • It also aims to digitise over one crore manuscripts and establish regional centres across all states for seamless coordination.
• Replacement: Gyan Bharatam will succeed the National Manuscripts Mission, launched in 2003, with the goal of institutionalizing manuscript preservation in India and establishing a sustainable framework.
• Funding: Announced in the 2025-26 Union Budget, the project has an initial funding of Rs 400 crore.