Preservation of Manuscripts

The Minister for Culture and Housing & Urban Poverty Alleviation Kumari Selja has said that Ministry of Culture operates a Scheme of financial assistance for Development and Maintenance of National Memorials. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha today she said, two schemes for preservation of documentary heritage across the country are being operated by National Archives of India (NAI), an attached office of the Ministry of Culture. These schemes are:-

a.      Scheme of Financial Assistance for Preservation of Manuscripts/Rare Books to registered Voluntary Organizations/Individual etc.

b.      Scheme of Financial Assistance to State/Union Territory Archival Repositories, Government Libraries and Museums.

            She said, Government of India has also established National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) in 2003 vide Gazette Notification dated the 5^th February, 2003, with the following mandate:-

                                 i.      To facilitate conservation and preservation of manuscripts through training, awareness and financial support;

                               ii.      To document and catalogue Indian manuscripts, wherever they may be, maintain accurate and up-to-date information about them and the conditions under which they may be consulted;

                              iii.      To promote ready access to these manuscripts through publication, both in book form as well as electronic form;

                             iv.      To boost scholarship and research in the study of Indian languages and manuscriptology; and

                              v.      To build up a National Digital Manuscripts Library.

            State-wise details during each of the last three years and the current year under the scheme of financial assistance to State/UT Archival Repositories, Government Libraries and Museums by NAI are at Annexure – I.             State-wise details of grants released by NMM through their Manuscripts Resource Centers and Manuscripts Conservation Centers are given at Annexures – II & III.

Kumari Selja said, the schemes are widely publicized by NAI through advertisement in National/local newspapers covering the whole country including these states, besides, by issue of circular to all the State/UT Governments and also through the websitewww.nationalarchives.nic.in, inviting organizations/individuals to submit their applications (through the state level Screening Committees/Archives) for financial assistance. Similarly, for documentation, conservation and other activities, NMM has established 57Manuscripts Resource Centers (MRCs) and 50 Manuscripts Conservation Centers (MCCs) all over the country including Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Rajasthan to whom grants are given. NMM also organizes training programmes in Conservation and workshops in Manuscriptology and Palaeography.

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