Bengaluru/Mysuru: Aligning with the Gyan Bharatam Mission — an initiative aimed at preserving, digitising and disseminating India’s vast manuscript heritage while reviving its deep-rooted civilisational knowledge traditions — Karnataka has proposed key measures to safeguard manuscript custodians and ensure the continuity of ancient wisdom for future generations.

Speaking at the inauguration of a State-level workshop on “Conservation and Digitisation of Manuscripts” held in Bengaluru recently, Minister for Law, Justice and Tourism H.K. Patil announced that the State Government will introduce a legislative amendment to protect manuscript custodians even as it strengthens efforts to preserve ancient knowledge.

The workshop was organised jointly by the Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage, the Department of Tourism, and the Oriental Research Institute (ORI), University of Mysore.

Patil said the proposed amendment would strike a balance between heritage preservation and private property rights, codifying essential guidelines for manuscript custodians. Importantly, the legislation will focus on preserving Intellectual Property rather than acquiring physical manuscripts.

Key features of legislation

The amendment will clearly state that the Government will not take physical possession of manuscripts held in private homes, mutts or institutions. Custodians will likely be required to formally declare their manuscript holdings to build a comprehensive State Heritage Registry.

Custodians must share digitised copies of manuscripts with the State so that even if the physical object deteriorates, the knowledge remains permanently preserved.

“We want to send a clear message,” Patil emphasised. “The Government is interested in preserving the content, not in taking away your treasured possessions. The law will respect your ownership while ensuring the data is securely archived for the nation,” he added.

Adding to the legal framework, Chief Secretary, Government of Karnataka, Dr. Shalini Rajneesh, assured robust financial support for the initiative. She said she would pursue Central funding specifically for the Gyan Bharatam Mission.

She noted that these funds would be channelled towards assisting custodians in maintaining and preserving their collections within their  own premises.

Department of Tourism Secretary Dr. K.V. Trilok Chandra, Gyan Bharatam Mission Chief Coordinator Dr. B. Gopalacharya, ORI Mysore Director Dr. D.P. Madhusudan Acharya, Department of Archaeology, Museums and Heritage Director Dr. Smita Reddy, Deputy Director Dr. R. Shejeshwara and Commissioner A. Devaraju were present.

National push for large-scale digitisation

Director of ORI Mysore Dr. D.P. Madhusudan Acharya told Star of Mysore that the Narendra Modi Government has sanctioned Rs. 600 crore for the Gyan Bharatam Mission.

The nationwide initiative aims to digitise and catalogue over one crore manuscripts, create a National Digital Repository and integrate AI-driven tools for smart access, transcription and provenance tracking.

“Many manuscripts have a lifespan of 1,000 years and if not digitised now, much of this knowledge will be lost forever,” he said. “Across India, more than 40 institutions — including ORI — are setting up advanced conservation labs for palm-leaf, birch-bark and paper manuscripts,” he added.