Gyan Bharatam initiative announced in 2025 budget, 3,53,947 manuscripts online
The question asked the Ministry of Culture to explain the objectives, components, and progress of the Gyan Bharatam initiative for manuscript preservation, specifically inquiring about the inclusion of tribal communities and the roadmap for AI integration. The Ministry of Culture provided the official response.
Asked by: Shri Dhaval Laxmanbhai Patel and Shri Rajkumar Chahar; Answered by: Ministry of Culture (Minister Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat).
- Gyan Bharatam was announced in the Union Budget on 1st February 2025.
- The Standing Finance Committee sanctioned Rs.491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031.
- The initiative aims to survey, document, conserve, digitize, and disseminate India's manuscript heritage.
- Over 8 lakh manuscripts have been digitized across the country.
- 3,53,947 manuscripts are currently available on the Gyan Bharatam portal for public access in view mode.
- The initiative targets the documentation and preservation of more than one crore manuscripts.
- A National Digital Repository (NDR) is planned to integrate digitized manuscripts.
- AI technologies including OCR, HTR, and Large Language Script Models (LLSM) are to be developed for transliteration, translation, and semantic search.
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Parliamentary Q&A
20.07.2026
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Document details
| Official title | Gyan Bharatam Initiative |
| Source body | Parliament of India — Questions & Answers (Lok Sabha, starred) |
| Reference number | LS Q1 (Session 8) |
| Status | closed (question) |
| Year | 20.0 |
| Closing date | — |
| Documents | 1 |