What is National Mission For Manuscripts?

The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) is a government-funded program in India that aims to preserve, document and disseminate the country’s rich manuscript heritage. Established in 2003, the mission works to identify, document, and digitize manuscripts across various languages and scripts, making them accessible to researchers, scholars, and the general public. The NMM also promotes the study and research of manuscripts and organizes exhibitions and workshops to raise awareness about the importance of preserving this cultural heritage. Overall, The National Mission for Manuscripts is an initiative to safeguard, conserve and revitalize the rich manuscript heritage of India.

What is a Manuscript?

A manuscript is a handwritten document in the form of paper, cloth, palm leaf, metal, or consisting of any other material relating to seventy-five years or more which has aesthetic value and scientific and historical importance. Manuscripts may be in the form of several scripts and languages but do not consist of printed volumes and lithographs. Manuscripts should not be related to different historical records like revenue records, epigraphs on rocks, etc., as they are a direct source of information about past events and processes, whereas manuscripts contain content of knowledge. 

National Mission of Manuscripts 

• The National Mission of Manuscripts (NMM) was established by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in February 2003 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India, in order to preserve the culture and wealth of ancient manuscripts of India. 
• India possesses the largest collection of manuscripts in the world that are about ten million in number.
• Manuscripts include a large number of themes, languages, scripts, textures, calligraphies, aesthetics, illuminations, etc.  
• The main purpose of the mission is the identification, collection, preservation, and conservation of the manuscripts so that people from all over India can have access to them. 
• There are many manuscripts that are in poor condition and are at risk of being lost forever, so NMM was considered an important measure to preserve the culture of India. 

Objectives of National Mission For Manuscripts

The objectives of the National Mission for Manuscripts are as follows:

• Finding the existing manuscripts across the world through various surveys and activities after the survey.
• Recording the data of each manuscript in the National database so that we can keep track of the information about these manuscripts and the data is openly available to all.
• It also aims to create a national database of all the manuscripts that can be accessed online through the website of the National Mission for Manuscripts. This national database will be known as ‘Kriti Sampada.’
• Providing training to the manuscript conservators so that they can become proficient in conserving manuscripts by using traditional and modern methods.
• It also aims to provide training to the coming generations of manuscript conservators to understand the language of manuscripts and their significance.
• Converting the manuscripts to a digital version in order to provide access to these valuable and rare treasures of India through the use of technology.
• Making people aware of the significance and importance of manuscripts through various awareness programs, seminars, books, social media, etc.

Significance of National Mission For Manuscripts

• Manuscripts are an important source of historical information from the pre-historic and ancient, and medieval periods. These documents are the only source through which we can explore more about the history and culture of India that prevailed at that time.
• A manuscript is the symbol of a country’s history, art, culture, and heritage.
• India has a huge number of manuscripts that are spread across the world. These manuscripts are kept at museums in different states as well as in different countries. The significance of these historical documents is not realized properly, and most of them are in a very bad state due to not being attended to properly and taken care of. Thus these manuscripts also remain undocumented, and if lost, it will be very difficult to identify that these manuscripts ever existed.
• Manuscripts are written by different scholars, poets, and saints that were present in India or visited India during the ancient and medieval periods. Thus they also reflect the thoughts and views of Indian as well as foreign scholars about India and its heritage.
• Saiva manuscripts in Pondicherry were awarded the status of the ‘Memory of the World’ by UNESCO in 2005. The application for the award was given jointly by the French Institute of Pondicherry, the Centre for Ecole Francaise d’Extreme-Orient (EFEO), and the National Mission for Manuscripts. 
• The Rig Vedic manuscript of the Bhandarkar Institute of Oriental Studies, Pune, was nominated for registration in the Memory of the World in 2007. Tamil Medical manuscript collection was also nominated for the ‘Memory of the World.’

Initiatives Undertaken by the NMM

• Documenting and cataloging manuscripts: The NMM works to document and catalog manuscripts held in various institutions and private collections across India. This includes identifying, describing, and digitizing manuscripts, as well as creating an online database of the manuscripts.
• Conservation and preservation: The NMM provides technical assistance and training to institutions and individuals to help preserve manuscripts. It also carries out conservation and restoration work on manuscripts.
• Research and scholarship: The NMM supports research and scholarship on manuscripts, including through grants and fellowships for scholars working on manuscripts and through publications and conferences.
• Outreach and education: The NMM works to raise awareness about the importance of manuscripts and their preservation through exhibitions, lectures, and other public events. It also provides education and training programs for students, scholars, and other interested individuals.
• Networking and collaboration: The NMM works with other organizations and institutions to help preserve and promote India’s manuscript heritage, including through collaborations on research, conservation, and outreach.

Challenges of National Mission For Manuscripts

• India’s rich manuscript collection is estimated to be around 10 million, possibly the largest collection of manuscripts in the world.
• Manuscripts have been found in various languages ​​and scripts, many of which are no longer legible.
• Manuscripts are stored in various types of repositories, ranging from museums and educational institutions to private homes and places of worship, large and small.
• Manuscripts are often found lying around for decades and in very poor condition, and perhaps most critically. 
• There is not much connection between so-called “modern knowledge” and the knowledge contained in manuscripts. Scholars who can study and use manuscripts are rapidly disappearing, and new generations of scholars are unable to meet the challenge.
• Manuscript knowledge is often not considered up-to-date. Given the current global interest in traditional medical systems such as Ayurveda and Unani, architectural sciences such as Vastu his Shastras, and older norms of literature and philosophy, the search for manuscripts is revived. 
• But more importantly, the manuscript must be preserved because of its importance as a record of India’s past, society, culture, and politics and as a record of India’s memory.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Why is it necessary to preserve the manuscripts?

Ans: Manuscripts are written by different scholars, poets, and saints that were present in India or visited India during the ancient and medieval periods. Thus they also reflect the thoughts and views of Indian as well as foreign scholars about India and its heritage. Thus, the manuscripts must be preserved because of their importance as a record of India’s past, society, culture, and politics and as a record of India’s memory.

Q2. What is a manuscript?

Ans: A manuscript is a handwritten document in the form of paper, cloth, palm leaf, metal, or consisting of any other material relating to seventy-five years or more which has aesthetic value, scientific and historical importance. Manuscripts may be in the form of several scripts and languages but do not consist of printed volumes and lithographs. 

Q3. Which Indian manuscripts have been recognized by UNESCO?

Ans: UNESCO has recognized Saiva manuscripts in Pondicherry and the Tamil medical manuscripts collection in the ‘Memory of World.’

Q4. When was the NMM program launched?

Ans: The National Mission of Manuscripts (NMM) was launched by the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, in February 2003 by Atal Bihari Vajpayee, former Prime Minister of India, in order to preserve the culture and wealth of ancient manuscripts of India. 

Q5. State any two objectives of NMM.

Ans: The objectives of NAMAMI are as follows:

• Finding the existing manuscripts across the world through various surveys and activities after the survey.
• Recording the data of each manuscript in the National database called ‘Kriti Sampada’ so that we can keep track of the information about these manuscripts and the data is openly available to all.