Why in News?

• According to the sources in the Ministry of Culture, the government is planning to introduce the National Manuscripts Bill 2023, possibly in the Winter Session of Parliament.
• According to the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), India possesses an estimated 10 million manuscripts in 80 ancient scripts like Brahmi, Kushan, Gaudi, Lepcha, and Maithili. 

What is Manuscript?

• A manuscript is a handwritten composition on paper, bark, cloth, metal, palm leaf or any other material dating back at least 75 years and has significant scientific, historical or aesthetic value.
  • Lithographs and printed volumes are not manuscripts.
• Manuscripts are found in hundreds of different languages and scripts. Often, one language is written in a number of different scripts.
  • For example, Sanskrit is written in Oriya script, Grantha script, Devanagari script and many other scripts.
• Manuscripts are distinct from historical records such as epigraphs on rocks, firmans, revenue records which provide direct information on events or processes in history.
• Manuscripts have knowledge content. For example, the Bakhshali manuscript is an ancient Indian mathematical text written on birch bark, and is considered to be the earliest recorded example of the use of zero.

National Mission for Manuscripts

• Establishment of the National Mission of Manuscripts (NMM) was aimed at safeguarding India’s extensive repository of manuscripts.
• The NMM an autonomous body was established in 2003 by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• The primary mission directive involves recognizing, gathering, recording, safeguarding, and maintaining manuscripts from various regions across India, ensuring their availability to the public.
• It’s a unique project in its programme and mandate, the Mission seeks to unearth and preserve the vast manuscript wealth of India.
• The NMM operates as a comprehensive national initiative with the goal of fulfilling its motto: ‘preserving the past for the future’.
• According to the NMM, 75% of the existing manuscripts are in Sanskrit, 25% are in regional languages.
• India possesses an estimate of five million manuscripts, probably the largest collection in the world.
• The NMM has successfully digitized 330,000 manuscripts, encompassing around 31 million folios. While over 118,000 manuscripts have been uploaded, only approximately 70,000 are presently accessible to the public via online platforms.
• The Bakhshali manuscript, an ancient mathematical text inscribed on birch bark, stands as the earliest documented instance of zero’s utilization, originating from India.

National Mission for Manuscripts

• Establishment of the National Mission of Manuscripts (NMM) was aimed at safeguarding India’s extensive repository of manuscripts.
• The NMM an autonomous body was established in 2003 by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
• The primary mission directive involves recognizing, gathering, recording, safeguarding, and maintaining manuscripts from various regions across India, ensuring their availability to the public.
• It’s a unique project in its programme and mandate, the Mission seeks to unearth and preserve the vast manuscript wealth of India.
• The NMM operates as a comprehensive national initiative with the goal of fulfilling its motto: ‘preserving the past for the future’.
• According to the NMM, 75% of the existing manuscripts are in Sanskrit, 25% are in regional languages.
• India possesses an estimate of five million manuscripts, probably the largest collection in the world.
• The NMM has successfully digitized 330,000 manuscripts, encompassing around 31 million folios. While over 118,000 manuscripts have been uploaded, only approximately 70,000 are presently accessible to the public via online platforms.
• The Bakhshali manuscript, an ancient mathematical text inscribed on birch bark, stands as the earliest documented instance of zero’s utilization, originating from India.

FAQs about The National Manuscripts Bill 2023

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