Gyan Bharatam, announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, is a flagship national initiative aimed at preserving and revitalising India’s vast manuscript heritage. Implemented by the Ministry of Culture, the programme aligns with the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047 by integrating cultural conservation with knowledge creation and human capital development.
Funding and Vision of the Initiative
To support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee has approved an allocation of ₹491.66 crore for the period 2025 to 2031. Gyan Bharatam seeks to unearth, safeguard and preserve ancient manuscripts while ensuring their relevance for contemporary scholarship and future generations. The initiative underscores India’s commitment to protecting traditional knowledge systems through structured institutional support.
Five Core Verticals of Gyan Bharatam
The initiative operates across five verticals: survey and cataloguing, conservation and capacity building, technology and digitisation, linguistics and translation, and research, publication and outreach. A nationwide network of Cluster Centres and Independent Centres is being established to implement these activities. So far, 45 centres and 20 States and Union Territories have been onboarded as nodal authorities for coordinated implementation.
Digitisation, Technology and Quality Standards
More than 7.5 lakh manuscripts have already been digitised under Gyan Bharatam, with 1.29 lakh manuscripts available on the dedicated portal. The programme follows strict technical standards, including high-resolution non-destructive scanning, advanced image processing, robust metadata protocols, and long-term archival storage using LTO-9 tapes with cloud-based backup. An AI-integrated digital platform and mobile application are also under development to enhance accessibility and research use.
Important Facts
- Gyan Bharatam was announced in Union Budget 2025–26.
- The initiative is implemented by the Ministry of Culture.
- ₹491.66 crore has been sanctioned for 2025–2031.
- It focuses on five verticals including digitisation and conservation.