Prime Minister Narendra Modi today said, Gyan Bharatam Mission is set to become the voice of India’s culture, literature and consciousness. Addressing the gathering at the International Conference on Gyan Bharatam in New Delhi, Mr Modi said, India has the world’s largest collection of about one crore manuscripts. He further stated that throughout history, crores of manuscripts were destroyed, but the ones that remain show how devoted the ancestors were to knowledge, science and learning. He added that India is itself a living stream, shaped by its ideas, ideals and values. 

Mr Modi Said that this mission is also uncovering new research and innovation. He said that today, the global cultural and creative industries are worth 2.5 trillion dollars and digitized manuscripts can feed this sector, serving as a vast data bank. Urging youth to join this mission Mr Modi said, involvement of youth of the country will accelerate the process of exploring the past through technology and making this knowledge accessible to humanity, grounded in evidence. 

The Prime Minister also launched the Gyan Bharatam Portal, a dedicated digital platform to accelerate manuscript digitisation, preservation, and public access, and address the gathering on the occasion. 
    

The three-day conference began yesterday under the theme “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage”. The Conference has brought together leading scholars, conservationists, technologists and policy experts to deliberate on pathways for revitalising India’s unparalleled manuscript wealth and to place it at the heart of a global knowledge dialogue. It also include an exhibition showcasing rare manuscripts and scholarly presentations on critical areas such as manuscript conservation, digitisation technologies, metadata standards, legal frameworks, cultural diplomacy, and decipherment of ancient scripts.