NATIONAL MANUSCRIPT MISSION: NATIONAL
ISSUES
NEWS: Government
seeks to relaunch National Manuscript Mission, set up autonomous body
WHAT’S
IN THE NEWS?
Presently, NMM is a part
of the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts. The new body, likely to be named
the National Manuscripts Authority, will be an autonomous entity under the
Ministry.
Revival of the National Manuscript Mission (NMM)
Revival Initiative:
·
In
October 2024, the Union Ministry of Culture announced plans to revive the
National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM).
·
Proposal
to create an autonomous body, possibly called the National Manuscripts
Authority, under the Ministry to enhance manuscript preservation efforts.
·
Currently,
NMM operates under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts.
What is a Manuscript?
·
Defined
as a handwritten text on materials like paper, bark, or cloth, over 75 years
old, with scientific, historical, or aesthetic value.
·
Excludes
lithographs and printed materials.
NMM Background:
·
Established:
February 2003 by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture.
·
Objective:
Identify, document, and preserve India's vast manuscript collection, estimated
at 10 million manuscripts, the largest in the world.
·
Mandate: Locate,
conserve, document, and improve public accessibility to these manuscripts.
NMM Objectives:
·
Locate and Document: National surveys and database creation, with 4 million manuscripts
recorded in the National Electronic Database.
·
Conserve: Use
modern and indigenous methods and train future conservators.
·
Accessibility:
Digitize endangered manuscripts and publish critical editions.
·
Public Engagement: Increase awareness through lectures, seminars, and outreach.
Achievements:
·
Metadata
prepared for 52 lakh manuscripts and digitization of 3 lakh titles.
·
Only 1.3
lakh manuscripts uploaded online, with 70,000 available for public viewing due
to lack of an access policy.
Recent Developments:
·
Establish
academic chairs abroad for Indian studies and collaboration with NMM.
·
Need for
intellectual property rights, legal expertise, and financial aid to prevent the
sale of manuscripts abroad.
·
Focus on
preserving non-Brahmi and lesser-known scripts.
Challenges:
·
Manuscripts
in various languages and scripts, often deteriorated due to neglect.
·
Access
policy issues limit private collections from being shared, and declining
trained scholars in manuscript studies.
·
Perceived
lack of relevance of manuscript content in modern contexts.
Historical Context:
·
India's manuscripts have drawn
international interest historically, with travelers like Hiuen Tsang and
Orientalists cataloging India’s intellectual and artistic heritage.