The Ministry of Culture, Government of India, organised a 'Workshop on National Digitisation Drive' on 31 July 2026 at The Ashok, New Delhi, under the Gyan Bharatam initiative. The workshop brought together policymakers, representatives from academic institutions, manuscript repositories, technology partners and heritage experts to deliberate on accelerating the creation of a National Digital Repository for India's invaluable manuscript heritage.
The workshop was attended by the Hon'ble Union Minister of Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat. Also present were Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Smt. Amita Prasad Sarbhai, Additional Secretary, Shri Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary, Shri Inderjeet Singh, Director, along with senior officials, scholars and stakeholders associated with the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
Addressing the gathering, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat congratulated the team associated with the Gyan Bharatam National Manuscript Survey for successfully taking forward one of the country's most significant cultural preservation initiatives. He said that India's ancient manuscripts embody centuries of knowledge, philosophy, literature, science and civilisational wisdom, and preserving them is essential for safeguarding the nation's intellectual heritage for future generations.
The Minister noted that the National Digitisation Drive is playing a transformative role in identifying, preserving and digitising India's priceless manuscript wealth. He informed that more than 1.22 crore ancient manuscripts have been identified across the country under the campaign, marking a historic milestone in documenting India's manuscript heritage. He emphasised that the initiative is not merely about preservation, but about making this vast repository of knowledge accessible for research, education and future generations through modern technology.
Speaking on the occasion, Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, highlighted the transparent and collaborative approach adopted during the Gyan Bharatam National Manuscript Survey. He stated that every stage of the survey was carried out with complete transparency and that all information received from States and participating institutions has been systematically uploaded to the dedicated portal.
He further informed that over 1.22 crore manuscripts discovered within India have been verified and updated on the portal, creating an authenticated national database of manuscript heritage. He added that the Ministry is also making sustained efforts to identify, document and digitally preserve Indian manuscripts and related heritage dispersed across different parts of the world.
The workshop featured detailed presentations on the progress of the National Digitisation Drive, state-wise digitisation efforts, imaging and metadata standards, digitisation workflows, institutional responsibilities, case studies on manuscript digitisation, and operational challenges involved in large-scale preservation. Experts also deliberated on strategies for ensuring interoperability, long-term digital preservation and wider public access to India's manuscript heritage.
The National Digitisation Drive under the Gyan Bharatam initiative aims to create a comprehensive and secure digital repository that will preserve India's rich manuscript tradition while facilitating research, scholarship and public access. The initiative represents a significant step towards harnessing technology for the conservation and dissemination of India's civilisational knowledge.
