Guwahati, April 22: The Chief Secretary of Assam Dr. Ravi Kota, IAS, on Wednesday briefed District Commissioners through a video conference on the objectives, scope and implementation framework of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, announced in the Union Budget 2025–26.
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| Assam Chief Secretary chairs a video conference with District Commissioners and officials to review the implementation of the Gyan Bharatam Mission and the digitisation of manuscripts across the state. (Image: x.com/CSAssam_) |
Officials from the Cultural Affairs Department, including the Director of Museums, Director of Cultural Affairs, Director of Archaeology and other stakeholders, also participated in the meeting.
The Mission aims to build a comprehensive and digitally accessible repository of India’s manuscript heritage through systematic survey, geo-tagging, documentation and digitisation. At the national level, more than 62 lakh manuscript records have been collected, with over 5.7 million manuscripts verified through a standardised technology-enabled process.
In Assam, field-level efforts have already identified over one lakh manuscripts across institutional repositories and private custodians. Many of these manuscripts are estimated to be 100–500 years old, covering subjects such as astronomy, traditional knowledge systems, elephant studies, folk practices and tantric Buddhism. Thirteen manuscripts have already been selected for publication by the Directorate of Museums and the Directorate of Historical and Antiquarian Studies.
The Chief Secretary directed all District Commissioners to undertake structured district-wise mapping of manuscripts to ensure comprehensive coverage. He also emphasised the early formation of District Level Committees to facilitate field coordination and smooth implementation.
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Officials were advised to prioritise districts with higher manuscript volumes for focused documentation and phased digitisation. The Chief Secretary further stressed the importance of maintaining standardised metadata, rigorous verification and adherence to survey protocols.
District administrations have been asked to coordinate closely with the Cultural Affairs Department, academic institutions and community custodians to ensure the effective rollout of the Mission across Assam.
