Lok Sabha Question No. 2921 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2017-03-20
Subject: Digitisation of Manuscripts
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: HARI MANJHI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2921 TO BE ANSWERED ON 20.03.2017 DIGITISATION OF MANUSCRIPTS

## † 2921: SHRI HARI MANJHI

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state:

- (a) whether our country has the highest reserve of manuscripts across the world;
- (b) if so, the details thereof along with the present policy of the Government regarding the protection/conservation and digitization of manuscript heritage of the country;
- (c) the number of manuscripts documented, digitized and conserved so far;
- (d) the  amount  allocated  in  this  regard  during  each  of  the  last  three  years  and  the current year in this regard, state-wise; and
- (e) if so, the details thereof ?

## ANSWER MINISTER OF STATE (IC) FOR CULTURE & TOURISM (DR. MAHESH SHARMA)

- (a & b):  Yes, Madam. As per our estimates India has the largest collection of Manuscripts. For  documentation,  conservation  /preservation  and  digitization  of  Manuscripts project, National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) was launched by the Ministry of Culture  in  2003.  Till  date  it  has  documented  about  42  lakh  Manuscripts  in different    scripts  and  languages.  For  conservation  of  Manuscripts,  Manuscripts Conservation Centres (MCCs) have been established by NMM all over the country, which  conduct  preventive  and  curative  conservation  of  Manuscripts  requiring conservation in their region.

Digitization of Manuscripts is done by NMM itself through invitation of open  tenders.

| (c):   | Number of Manuscripts documented Number of Manuscripts digitized Number of Manuscripts conserved   | - 42 lakhs Manuscripts. - 2.80 lakh Manuscripts. - preventive conservation   |
|--------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

- (d)&(e):   Funds  are  not  allocated  state-wise  by  the  Government.  However,  Government allocated the following funds to National Mission for Manuscripts during the last three years and the current year.

| Year    |   Budget allocation (in Rs.Lakhs) |
|---------|-----------------------------------|
| 2013-14 |                               950 |
| 2014-15 |                               950 |
| 2015-16 |                               625 |
| 2016-17 |                              1200 |

State-wise details of the expenditure incurred by the NMM during the last three years and the current year is given at Annexure.

Annexure  referred  to  in  reply  to  Lok  Sabha  Unstarred  Q.  No.  2921  due  for  answer  on 20.03.2017

## State wise expenditure incurred by National Mission for Manuscripts during last three years and current year.

Amount in Lakh

| S. No.   | State            | Funds allocated 2013-14   | Funds allocated 2014-15   | Funds allocated 2015-16   | Funds allocated 2016-17 upto 28-02-2017   |
|----------|------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|---------------------------|-------------------------------------------|
| 1        | Andhra Pradesh   | 35.43                     | 15.00                     | 9.50                      | 27.55                                     |
| 2        | Assam            | 11.80                     | 9.54                      | 10.50                     | 4.5                                       |
| 3        | Bihar            | 30.00                     | 28.50                     | 33.00                     | 28                                        |
| 4        | Delhi            | 9.29                      |                           | 8.00                      | 16.5                                      |
| 5        | Gujarat          |                           |                           | 7.00                      | 2.5                                       |
| 6        | Haryana          | 18.70                     |                           | 7.00                      | 14.4                                      |
| 7        | Himachal Pradesh | 18.00                     | 23.00                     | 14.00                     | 21.5                                      |
| 8        | Jammu &Kashmir   | 21.50                     | 16.50                     | 21.00                     | 23.5                                      |
| 9        | Karnataka        | 32.90                     | 21.50                     | 27.28                     | 27.9                                      |
| 10       | Kerala           | 15.75                     | 21.00                     | 21.00                     | 24                                        |
| 11       | Madhya Pradesh   | 13.25                     | 11.50                     | 7.00                      | 4.5                                       |
| 12       | Maharastra       | 13.35                     | 4.50                      | 13.15                     | 13.5                                      |
| 13       | Manipur          | 12.00                     | 14.50                     | 7.50                      | 2.5                                       |
| 14       | Odisha           | 57.50                     | 43.50                     | 35.91                     | 37.41                                     |
| 15       | Punjab           | 4.24                      |                           |                           |                                           |
| 16       | Rajasthan        | 24.70                     | 14.50                     | 13.58                     | 14.5                                      |
| 17       | Sikkim           | 3.30                      |                           | 2.64                      | 0.49                                      |
| 18       | Tamilnadu        | 63.70                     | 51.00                     | 14.00                     | 3.04                                      |
| 19       | Tripura          | 5.00                      | 2.50                      |                           | 10                                        |
| 20       | Uttar Pradesh    | 83.85                     | 67.06                     | 50.00                     | 46.58                                     |
| 21       | Uttrakhand       | 5.00                      | 15.00                     | 19.00                     | 15                                        |
| 22       | West Bengal      | 16.00                     | 16.00                     |                           | 26.03                                     |
| Total    | Total            | 495.26                    | 375.10                    | 321.06                    | 363.9                                     |