Srinagar, Mar 23 (KNO): Divisional Commissioner Kashmir, Anshul Garg today inaugurated a three-day Gyan Bharatam Workshop & National Survey of Manuscripts at Indian IIIM, Sanat Nagar, Srinagar.
The workshop is being organized by the Department of Archives, Archaeology & Museums, J&K to promote identification, preservation, conservation, and digitization of centuries-old manuscripts across Jammu & Kashmir.
Addressing the participants, the Divisional Commissioner underscored the importance of public participation in safeguarding manuscript heritage. He emphasized that the mission adopts a “Har Ghar Dastak” approach to reach custodians and ensure documentation of valuable manuscripts.
Highlighting the significance of the initiative, he said the Gyan Bharatam Mission aligns with the vision of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to preserve and document India’s rich intellectual and cultural legacy.
The Director, Kuldeep Krishan Sidha stated that the workshop aims to sensitize and train District Level Committees in manuscript identification and provide practical training on the use of the Gyan Bharatam Mission mobile application for field surveys.
The programme also focuses on creating awareness about the importance of manuscript preservation and digitization as part of the broader knowledge ecosystem. The Gyan Bharatam App, launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, is being used to monitor progress, with regular review at the PMO level.
Sidha informed that manuscripts will remain with their custodians, while experts will assist in assessing their nature, category, and physical condition. "The department will undertake digitization free of cost", he said and appealed private collectors to actively participate in the mission.
Dr. Jahangir Iqbal, HoD and Cluster Centre Head, Gyan Bharatam Mission, Department of Persian, Kashmir University, is the nodal officer for Kashmir.
The workshop is being attended by experts from Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts, District Level Committee officers, private manuscript collectors, and officials of the department—(KNO)