BORI to put manuscripts on digital media

PUNE: For decades the Bhandarkar oriental research institute (Bori) suffered for want of funds. Now, however, with funds pouring in from across the country and abroad, Bori hopes to do better at preserving its ancient manuscripts.
On top of its priorities is a project to store its manuscripts on digital media.
On Monday, Indologists and intellectuals from Bori urged Union human resource development minister M.M.Joshi for “digitisation and automation� of the institute’s archives. Bori, which has an annual budget of Rs 50 lakh, has not received a penny from the government in the last three years.
Pending dues amount to Rs 33 lakh. “What we need annually is about Rs 1 crore,� Saroja Bhate, Bori’s honorary secretary said. So far, nearly Rs 50 lakh have been collected. This includes Rs 18 lakh donated directly to the institute, funds collected by two local newspapers, and those promised by the Pune municipal corporation and the state government.
“We need funds for digitisation, micro-filming and scanning of the rare books,� Bhate said. The institute on Monday submitted a digitisation and automation proposal to Joshi. If the proposal is approved, Bori will have a digitally automated library and digital archives of all government manuscripts and rare books.
“Digital archiving of the manuscripts and books will save data from further deterioration,� Bhate said. The proposal also suggests digitisation of the institute’s major enterprise, the ‘Prakrit dictionary’ and the ‘Mahabharat cultural index’.
“Some of the volumes have been published, but if digitised, the remaining volumes will be completed early,� she added.