The Ministry of Culture's Gyan Bharatam Mission (GBM), announced during Union Budget 2025-26, has been allocated ₹491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031 to undertake comprehensive manuscript preservation and digitization activities across India. The initiative has seven key objectives: leveraging advanced technology to enhance digitization pace, conducting manuscript surveys and registration, documenting and cataloging Indian manuscripts globally, facilitating usage and access through publications, promoting conservation through training and financial support, boosting scholarship in Indian languages and manuscriptology, and building a National Digital Repository.
A National Manuscript Survey launched in March 2026 across all States and Union Territories has identified and documented over 1.19 crore manuscripts representing diverse languages and scripts. Currently, over 8 lakh manuscripts have been digitized nationwide, with more than 4.40 lakh manuscripts available for public access in view mode on the Gyan Bharatam portal, accessible state-wise.
The mission has established an institutional mechanism through Cluster Centres and Independent Centres involving universities, research institutions, libraries, archives, private custodians, religious institutions, and other stakeholders. States and Union Territories have been engaged as Nodal Coordinating Authorities for GBM implementation within their respective jurisdictions.
Access to digitized manuscript copies is provided in accordance with the rights of custodians and rights holders. While permissible manuscripts and associated metadata are made available for public and scholarly research through the National Digital Repository, sensitive, restricted, or rights-protected materials are subject to appropriate access conditions.
Specific institutions in Bihar including Nava Nalanda Mahavihar (Nalanda), Khuda Bakhsh Oriental Public Library (Patna), and Shri Bodh Gaya Math (Bodh Gaya) have onboarded with GBM to undertake manuscript-related activities. The information was formally presented by Union Minister for Culture and Tourism Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat in a written reply in Lok Sabha.