The Ministry of Culture had launched the ‘Gyan Bharatam’, a landmark national initiative dedicated to preserving, digitising, and disseminating India’s manuscript heritage. To mark this occasion, the Ministry had organised the first-ever ‘Gyan Bharatam’ International Conference on ‘Reclaiming India’s Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage’ from 11th–13th September 2025 at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. The conference brought together over 1,100 participants, including scholars, experts, institutions, and cultural practitioners from India and abroad, creating a collaborative platform for discussion, deliberation, and charting the way forward in preserving, digitising, and sharing India’s manuscript wealth with the world.

The deliberations concluded on 13th September with the valedictory session chaired by the Culture Minister of India. Over the three days, the conference witnessed the participation of the Prime Minister on 12th  September, when he attended the presentations of the working groups and addressed the gathering.

 

The valedictory session was graced by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Culture, as the Chief Guest. The occasion was further marked by the presence of eminent dignitaries including Shri Vivek Agarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Smt. Amita Prasad Sarbhai, Convenor of the Conference and Additional Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Shri Samar Nanda, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture; Shri Inderjeet Singh, Director, Ministry of Culture; Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Co-Convenor of the Gyan Bharatam Conference and Member Secretary, IGNCA; Prof. Manjul Bhargava, Fields Medal awardee and Professor at Princeton University; Yaduvir Singh Rawat, Director General, Archaeological Survey of India; Prof. Ramesh Chandra Gaur, Programme Co-ordinator, Dean (Administration) and Head, Kalanidhi Division, IGNCA; and Prof. (Dr.) Anirban Dash, Project Director, Gyan Bharatam and Director, National Mission on Manuscripts.

Shri Vivek Agarwal presented the closing report of the conference, which was followed by the formal reading of the Delhi Declaration by Smt. Amita Prasad Sarbhai. Prof. Ramesh C. Gaur elaborated on the ‘Gyan Setu’ challenge and subsequently announced the winners, who were felicitated by Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, Minister for Culture.

The winners of the ‘Gyan Setu’ Contest were honoured in the following order: the third position was jointly awarded to Venkat Ravi Teja Vila, the mother-son duo, and Dr. Arjun Ghosh with Chetan Arora; the second position was secured by Prof. Ravi Kiran; and the first position was awarded to R. Ramakrishnan, CEO of Inverse AI. On this occasion, the Gyan Bharatam logo was unveiled, and the Gyan Bharatam song was performed by the Meri Zindagi Band, founded by Dr. Jaya Tiwari.

Speaking as the chief guest, Union Minister for Culture and Tourism, Shri Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, said, “This initiative, inspired and guided by the Prime Minister, is an effort to infuse new life into India’s rich knowledge tradition." He stated that the knowledge preserved in written form after ‘Shruti’ and ‘Smriti’ is now being revived through the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India. Appreciating the continuous participation and deliberations over the three days of the conference, he noted that despite diverse perspectives, everyone engaged with mutual respect and energy, leading the conference towards a shared conclusion.

He emphasised that this process should not be seen merely as an academic exercise but as part of a cultural renaissance. He added that the preservation, publication, and utilisation of manuscripts will only be meaningful if they connect with the general public. He stressed the need to link the efforts of scholars and experts with social concerns to make it a mass movement. The Minister described the Delhi Declaration not merely as a document but as a collective resolve of all participants, noting that its beginning has been monumental and will grow even more significant in the future and is like a pledge for us.

Concluding his speech, he said, “Our objective is clear – to preserve, publish, and make manuscripts accessible through modern technology and social media in a way that enables every Indian to take pride in this intellectual heritage of their ancestors. Until this knowledge connects with the practical utility of ordinary people, the movement will remain incomplete. Therefore, let us together ensure that this heritage reaches future generations and advance India’s global leadership in manuscript tradition.”

At the concluding session of the three-day Gyan Bharatam International Conference, held from 11 to 13 September 2025, the Secretary of the Ministry of Culture, Shri Vivek Agrawal, presented the conference report. He noted that all eight working groups had engaged in detailed deliberations and submitted their presentations, which were attentively received and thoughtfully guided by the Hon’ble Prime Minister. Shri Agrawal highlighted, “India’s manuscripts contain the footprints of humanity’s entire developmental journey. They are not merely records of dynasties, but repositories of ideas, ideals, and values that have shaped civilisation. The Gyan Bharatam Mission is poised to become the voice of India’s culture, literature, and consciousness.” He added that these inspiring words, spoken by the Prime Minister during his address, set the tone for the journey ahead: to treat manuscripts not as relics, but as a living legacy, ensuring that through this mission, India’s rich cultural and intellectual heritage resonates as a global voice of culture, literature, and consciousness.

Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi stated that the Gyan Bharatam International Conference had not only served as a platform for rigorous scholarly deliberation but had also emerged as an inspiring step towards preserving India’s manuscript heritage and transmitting the nation’s knowledge tradition to future generations. He particularly highlighted that all participants had attended on their own motivation, without any sponsorship or invitation, reflecting their complete commitment and enthusiasm. Most participants were not present for certificates but to engage deeply with the conference’s content and discussions. He also noted that over 70 percent of the participants were young, which further strengthened the future trajectory of this initiative. According to him, the energy, dedication, and meaningful engagement of all attendees transformed the event into more than a conference-it became a people’s movement. The comprehensive deliberations across the eight thematic tracks clearly and systematically outlined the scope and vision of the Gyan Bharatam Mission.

Amita P. Sarbhai, Convenor of the International Conference, read the formal Delhi Declaration (Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra) on 13th September 2025, marking its adoption at the valedictory session. The declaration affirmed Bharat as the land of the world’s richest manuscript traditions and, in the vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, pledged to preserve, digitise, and disseminate this vast treasure. It resolved to guard and preserve the priceless manuscript heritage as the cultural and intellectual cornerstone of Viksit Bharat 2047, yield global leadership by positioning Bharat as the foremost hub of manuscripts, awaken a people’s movement by transforming Gyan Bharatam into a ‘Jan Andolan’, nurture every script and language as symbols of unity and diversity, bring communities together through participation of citizens, scholars, students, women, youth, and elders, and harness skills and technology for preservation, conservation, cataloguing, digitisation, and dissemination. It further pledged to acknowledge and honour custodians and institutions, research and reinterpret manuscripts, acquire and repatriate originals or secure digital copies, transmit ancient wisdom for education and innovation, advocate public awareness, and mentor future generations, with the first letters of these pledges collectively forming the words Gyan Bharatam. The Delhi Declaration was unanimously adopted by all delegates, speakers, scholars, and participants. In the end, a formal vote of thanks was extended by the Project Director, Gyan Bharatam.

To see Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra- Delhi Declaration on 13^th September 2025 Click here

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Sunil Kumar Tiwari

pibculture[at]gmail[dot]com

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