The Ministry of Culture organized the National Digitization Drive Workshop at The Ashok, New Delhi, under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, with participation from over 200 representatives of States/UTs, Centers, custodians, scholars, experts, and technology partners. The workshop aimed to strengthen India's manuscript preservation framework spanning philosophy, Ayurveda, literature, mathematics, yoga, and diverse knowledge systems.
Union Minister of Culture Gajendra Singh Shekhawat reported that with proactive support from all States, UTs, Ministry officials, Centers and custodians, over 1.2 crore manuscripts have been identified, marking a remarkable national milestone. He emphasized that digitization demands precision, discipline, and collaboration, stressing that preserving India's knowledge systems with accuracy and integrity is a national responsibility. The Minister called for sustaining the national momentum and maintaining the current pace of work.
Secretary Culture Vivek Aggarwal stressed the need for time-bound, systematic, and coordinated work with all stakeholders to ensure uniformity, quality assurance, and seamless integration across the country. Joint Secretary Samar Nanda reaffirmed the mission's national goals and the collective responsibility to advance India's manuscript preservation efforts.
Director Gyan Bharatam Inderjeet Singh presented an overview of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, outlining national objectives, digital infrastructure, and coordinated implementation. Project Director Anirban Dash explained the mission's two-phased functional pattern involving technical and scholastic understanding to ensure high-quality digitization and rigorous knowledge validation.
The workshop was structured around five core themes that reviewed national digitization targets, standardized imaging and metadata practices, refined implementation strategies, showcased best performing States, addressed operational challenges, and developed a coordinated roadmap for a unified, standards-driven national digitization framework. Presentations were made by Rajasthan, BORI Pune, Jammu & Kashmir, Asiatic Society Kolkata, and several Gyan Bharatam Centers including KOBA Gujarat, Vrindavan Research Institute, Sevadhi Kerala, and Jamia Hamdard Delhi, along with technology partners.
The Ministry showcased India's emerging National Digital Manuscript Ecosystem supported by AI platforms and a structured access policy framework. Recognizing the fragility of many manuscripts, the Ministry emphasized that conservation and digitization will proceed simultaneously, with States and Centers receiving funding to strengthen infrastructure, equipment, and trained manpower. The workshop concluded with a shared commitment to accelerating national efforts toward building a unified, AI-enabled manuscript ecosystem.