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The Government will host the first-ever International Manuscript Heritage Conference in September 2025 on the theme “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage.” The event is planned to commemorate the 132nd Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s historic 1893 Chicago address. The conference will bring together scholars, historians, manuscript experts, and cultural practitioners from around the world to discuss critical areas such as decipherment of ancient scripts, digital archiving, conservation, codicology, manuscriptology, and their role in advancing the Indian Knowledge System.

As part of its sustained efforts to safeguard manuscript heritage, the Government has launched initiatives like the Gyan Bharatam Mission, promoted digitization tools and conservation practices, and supported regional and global collaborations including MoUs with Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. To date, over 3.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitized, with 92 Manuscript Conservation Centres and 93 Manuscript Resource Centres established nationwide. These initiatives aim to preserve and promote India’s invaluable manuscript heritage for future generations.