PM to launch Gyan Bharatam portal to digitise manuscript heritage | Fusion - WeRIndia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will launch the Gyan Bharatam Portal on Friday, September 13, at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, marking a major step towards preserving and promoting India’s rich manuscript heritage.

The launch will kick off the three-day international conference, being held from September 11 to 13.

The Gyan Bharatam Portal is a dedicated digital platform designed to accelerate the:

• Digitisation of ancient Indian manuscripts
• Preservation through modern archival techniques
• Public access to rare, valuable, and often inaccessible knowledge resources

This portal aims to bring India’s ancient texts, currently scattered in libraries, temples, and personal collections, into the digital mainstream, allowing students, researchers, and the global community to explore India’s knowledge systems.

The conference brings together:

• Scholars and historians
• Conservationists and archivists
• Technologists
• Policy makers and legal experts

Key themes include:

• Manuscript conservation and restoration
• Advanced digitisation technologies
• Metadata and cataloguing standards
• Legal frameworks for heritage preservation
• Deciphering ancient scripts
• Cultural diplomacy and India’s soft power

An exhibition of rare manuscripts will also be held during the event.

Prime Minister Modi has consistently emphasised the importance of ancient Indian wisdom, often referring to languages like Sanskrit as a timeless source of knowledge and expression.

He also noted the government’s efforts to promote Sanskrit, including:

• Establishing Central Sanskrit Universities
• Launching Sanskrit learning centres
• Providing grants to scholars
• Supporting the Gyan Bharatam Mission for manuscript digitisation

India houses over 5 million manuscripts, the largest collection in the world, covering science, medicine, philosophy, astronomy, governance, and more. Yet, many remain undigitised, untranslated, or at risk of decay.

By launching Gyan Bharatam, India takes a decisive step in:

• Protecting cultural heritage
• Reviving ancient knowledge systems
• Connecting tradition with technology
• Positioning India as a global knowledge leader

The initiative reflects a broader push to make India’s knowledge legacy accessible, relevant, and celebrated on the world stage.

Image Credit: Ms Sarah Welch, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Image Reference: https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1500-1200_BCE,_Rigveda_manuscript_page_sample_iii,_Sanskrit,_Devanagari.jpg