Government Plans Law on Protection of Indian Manuscripts

Subject : History

Section: Art and culture

Introduction

Indian manuscripts hold valuable historical and cultural significance.
The government is proposing the National Manuscripts Bill, 2023, for protecting and preserving these manuscripts.
The primary goals include documentation, cataloging, maintaining accurate information, and regulating access to manuscripts.

Content and Significance of Indian Manuscripts

Indian manuscripts cover various themes: history, religion, literature, astrology, and more.
They are composed of materials like palm leaves, paper, cloth, and bark.
Manuscripts are written in diverse ancient scripts like Brahmi, Kushan, Gaudi, Lepcha, and Maithili.
About 75% of manuscripts are in Sanskrit, while 25% are in regional languages.

National Manuscripts Authority (NMA)

The proposed establishment of a 10-member NMA as the apex policy-making body.
Culture Minister to be the Chairperson, members include Secretaries of Culture, Finance, and Education, the Vice-Chancellor of Central Sanskrit University, special invitees, and private agencies.
NMA’s responsibilities include digitization, conservation, preservation, editing, and publication of manuscripts.

NMA’s Powers and Functions

NMA will regulate access to manuscripts, with the powers of a civil court.
It will have an investigative wing to inquire into thefts and desecrations.
Collaboration with educational institutions for fellowships and scholarships related to manuscripts.
Creation of a dedicated digital portal for indexing, cataloging, uploading, and downloading manuscripts.
Authority to take possession of unique and important manuscripts from private owners, with compensation set by an expert committee.

Protection and Preservation Measures

Preventing loss due to damage or theft.
Collaboration with universities and agencies for manuscript study.
Efforts to integrate manuscript interpretation with livelihood, fostering socio-cultural importance.

National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM)

Challenges and Digitization

Limited availability: Only 70,000 manuscripts are accessible online out of 1.18 lakh uploaded.
Prominent repositories: Sarasvati Mahal Library, Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute, Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, and Oriental Research Institute.

Global Interest

Surveys and documentation of Indian manuscripts abroad could increase global interest.

Historical Example: Bakhshali Manuscript

The Bakhshali Manuscript was discovered in 1881 in the village of Bakhshali, now in Pakistan.
The mathematical manuscript was written on birch bark.
Contains various mathematical problems and solutions, place-value system
Dated back to the third or fourth century A.D.
Currently housed in the Bodleian Libraries of the University of Oxford.