'Several core issues remain unanswered': Shashi Tharoor on Centre's response in Lok Sabha on Gyan Bharatam query

New Delhi: Congress MP Shashi Tharoor on Monday said despite claims of public access to digitised versions of 1.29 lakh manuscripts by the Centre under its Gyan Bharatam initiative, "no information" is given on access mechanisms, language interfaces, or reach.

In a post on X, the Lok Sabha member also shared a scanned copy of the government's response on February 2 to queries related to the initiative, which he and Nationalist Congress Party leader Sharadchandra Pawar had put up.

Tharoor said, while the culture ministry provides a broad overview of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, "several core issues remain unanswered".

More than 7.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitised under the Gyan Bharatam initiative, with 1.29 lakh of them available on its dedicated portal, the government had informed Lok Sabha on February 2.

In response to a query related to the initiative on March 23, the ministry also said, "More than eight lakh digitised manuscripts in different formats such as DVD, HDD, microfilms are available across the country, of which 1.29 lakh manuscripts are accessible, in view mode, to the public on the Gyan Bharatam portal".

Referring to the February 2 response by the Union government, he said, "No state/UT-wise or language-wise data is provided on manuscripts identified, catalogued, conserved, digitised, or uploaded to the National Digital Repository, with only aggregate figures offered." The annexure listing Cluster and Independent Centres does not specify the number of partner institutions mapped to each Cluster Centre, and Kerala-specific details on manuscript coverage and digitisation progress are "absent," the Thiruvanthapuram MP argued.

"Although Rs 491.66 crore has been sanctioned for 2025-2031, the reply provides no year-wise allocation, expenditure incurred, or utilisation status, weakening financial accountability. Further, while technical standards are detailed, there is no clarity on compliance monitoring or enforcement," he added.

Tharoor also said despite claims of public access to 1.29 lakh manuscripts, no information is given on access mechanisms, language interfaces, or reach.

“This lack of transparency undermines parliamentary oversight and risks disconnecting a public heritage mission from scholars, custodial institutions, and the wider public it is meant to serve," he alleged.

Gyan Bharatam, announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, is a flagship initiative of the Ministry of Culture, aimed at unearthing, safeguarding, and preserving India's vast manuscript heritage.

"Aligned with the national vision of Viksit Bharat 2047, the initiative seeks to harmonise cultural preservation with human capital development, ensuring that India's ancient wisdom continues to inspire generations to come,” Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat had said in the written response to the February 2 query.

Shekhawat had further informed that to support the initiative, the Standing Finance Committee sanctioned Rs 491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031.

The government on March 16 began a three-month nationwide survey for documentation, conservation, and digitisation of the country's manuscript heritage under the Gyan Bharatam initiative, officials earlier said.

The exercise will be taken up to the district level across the country, they said.