Unveiling Gyan Bharatam: A Manuscript Mission with Many Unanswered Questions

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor critiqued the Gyan Bharatam initiative for lacking transparency and accessibility in providing access to digitised manuscripts. Although claims suggest public access to over a lakh of these treasures, details on access mechanisms and language interfaces are absent, which Tharoor argues undermines public engagement and parliamentary oversight.

In a recent statement, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor voiced concerns over the Gyan Bharatam initiative, citing significant transparency issues. The digitization project claims public access to over 129,000 manuscripts via its portal, yet details about access mechanisms are sorely missing, according to Tharoor.

Announced in the Union Budget 2025-26, Gyan Bharatam aims to reclaim India's manuscript heritage. Despite the government allotting Rs 491.66 crores for the project from 2025-2031, a lack of detailed expenditure reports has raised questions about financial accountability in the mission, as highlighted by Tharoor.

The Ministry of Culture describes the initiative as vital to the Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. However, the absence of crucial data on language interfaces and state-wise details undermines the program's intentions, risking disconnect with scholars and the public it seeks to benefit.