Context-
India will host the first-ever International Manuscript Heritage Conference from September 11–13 in New Delhi. This major event is part of a renewed national effort to preserve, digitise, and share the country’s priceless manuscript heritage with the world. The event is titled “Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage.”

Significance:

• Commemorates the 132nd anniversary of Swami Vivekananda’s speech in Chicago (September 11, 1893), a milestone symbolising India’s intellectual presence worldwide.
• Brings together international experts, thought leaders, and cultural custodians.
• Provides a platform to showcase India’s leadership in heritage preservation.

Major Themes and Sessions

The conference will host keynote speeches, academic paper presentations, and thematic discussions on topics such as:

• Conservation and Restoration: Techniques to clean, stabilise, and repair fragile manuscripts.
• Survey and Documentation: Creating consistent standards for describing and cataloguing manuscripts.
• Digitisation Technologies:
• Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR): For converting scripts into machine-readable text.
• Artificial Intelligence (AI): For language processing and content analysis.
• IIIF Protocols: International standards for sharing high-resolution images.
• Paleography and Codicology: Study of historical scripts and manuscript structures.
• Script Training: Capacity building for reading and transcribing old scripts.
• Legal and Ethical Issues: Ownership, repatriation, and community rights over manuscripts.

Manuscripts in India:

India is home to one of the largest and most diverse manuscript collections globally, estimated at over 10 million manuscripts. These texts cover a wide array of disciplines:

• Philosophy and Darśana: Ancient schools of thought and commentaries.
• Vedic Rituals: Detailed instructions for ceremonies and practices.
• Science and Mathematics: Contributions to astronomy, geometry, arithmetic, and medicine.
• Literature and Arts: Poetry, drama, and treatises on music and painting.
• Astrology and Vāstu: Indigenous knowledge systems for prediction and architecture.

Manuscripts are preserved in:

• Temples and Mathas (monastic institutions).
• Jaina Bhandāras (special manuscript libraries).
• State archives and museums.
• Private family collections.

Despite their value, many manuscripts face threats of decay, damage, and neglect due to poor storage conditions and lack of awareness.

The Gyan Bharatam Mission:

Recognising this challenge, the government announced the Gyan Bharatam Mission (GBM) in the Union Budget 2025–26. The Mission expands the earlier National Mission for Manuscripts, which began in 2003.

Key goals of GBM include:

• Scientific preservation and conservation of manuscripts.
• Large-scale digitisation to make texts accessible to researchers and the public.
• Development of metadata standards and modern cataloguing systems.
• Use of Artificial Intelligence and Handwritten Text Recognition (HTR) to transcribe and translate scripts.
• Training of a new generation of manuscript scholars and conservators.
• Collaboration with global institutions for research and exchange.

Conclusion:

The International Manuscript Heritage Conference is a landmark step to revive, protect, and modernise India’s manuscript culture.

It demonstrates a forward-looking approach to:

• Connect ancient knowledge with contemporary research and technology.
• Inspire younger generations to engage with heritage studies.
• Build international partnerships for preservation and scholarship.

By reclaiming this legacy, India reinforces the message that cultural heritage is not only about the past—it is a living resource that can shape learning, innovation, and identity in the modern world.