Digitise manuscripts, stop intellectual piracy: PM Modi

NEW DELHI: PM Modi on Thursday highlighted that India was home to the largest collection of manuscripts, and said it was a tribute to “the dedication of our ancestors towards knowledge, science, reading and learning”.
He said while lakhs of manuscripts were lost due to the “cruel blows of history”, India was able to save many which are now part of the country’s civilisational consciousness and heritage. “India’s history is not just about the rise and fall of sultanates,” he said.

The PM was speaking at an international conference on the ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’, which among other things, focuses through a portal on the digitisation and preservation of manuscripts and enhancing access to them.
Modi underlined that numerous elements of India’s traditional knowledge system, which have been used for centuries, are often copied and patented by others, “Digital manuscripts will accelerate efforts to counter such misuse and help stop intellectual piracy,” he said. The PM said the mission, announced in the 2025-26 Budget, is set to become “a proclamation of India’s culture, literature, and consciousness”.

He also heard presentations by eight working groups constituted under the mission on manuscript conservation, digitisation technologies, metadata standards, legal frameworks, cultural diplomacy and decipherment of ancient scripts.

Stating that viewing a manuscript feels akin to travelling back in time, Modi reflected on the vast difference between present-day conditions and those of the past. “India’s history is not merely a record of dynastic victories and defeats,” he said. He noted that while the geography of princely states and kingdoms has changed over time, India has remained intact from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean.

“India’s ancient manuscripts reflect the continuous flow of this civilisational journey”, Modi added while highlighting that these manuscripts that exist in nearly 80 languages are also declarations of unity in diversity.
Stating that every nation presents its historical assets to the world as symbols of civilizational greatness, the PM noted that countries preserve even a single manuscript or artifact as a national treasure. Modi affirmed that these manuscripts — wherever they may be found in the world — must be documented, digitised, and celebrated as part of India’s civilisational heritage.

“India has earned the trust of the world. Today, nations view India as the right place to safeguard and honour cultural heritage” Modi said while referring to how earlier, only a few stolen Indian idols were returned but now, hundreds of ancient idols are being repatriated.
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