Patna, Sep 2 (PTI) The Bihar government has accelerated the digitisation and preservation of manuscripts under the Centre’s Gyan Bharatam Mission, a minister said on Wednesday.
The nationwide mission aims to digitise and preserve ancient texts.
In Bihar, the government is focusing on documenting and securing rare palm-leaf and paper manuscripts held in libraries, museums and private collections using advanced technology.
“An administrative approval for expenditure of Rs 6.23 crore was granted earlier this year to accelerate conservation and digitisation of manuscripts. More than eight lakh manuscripts have been identified across 38 districts of the state following an extensive survey,” Bihar Art and Culture Minister Pramod Kumar Chandravansi told reporters at a press conference here.
Department secretary Pranav Kumar said the mission comprises multiple phases, including identification of manuscripts, digitisation and preparation of metadata.
“Identifying manuscripts involves locating them in institutional repositories and private collections. Following identification, the digitisation process is underway. Pages that are torn, fragile, or decaying are being treated. They are also being scanned and will be uploaded so that this entire repository can be accessed by people across India and abroad,” he said.
The secretary added that AI tools will be used to transliterate scripts such as Brahmi and Kaithi into Hindi and English, as well as to summarise the texts into a concise gist.
The minister said a National School of Drama (NSD) campus will be opened in the state, ending the longstanding wait of Bihar artists.
The secretary said a plan to open the campus within a 20-25 km radius of Patna is being envisaged, but that is subject to “land availability and other requirements.” Chandravansi also said a dedicated film portal had been created to provide easy access to services and information and make Bihar a “film-friendly destination”.
According to a departmental statement, 862 film artists, 148 producers and 29 service providers have so far registered on the portal.
“The Bihar Film Promotion Policy is also being actively implemented. We have granted shooting permissions to more than 59 projects, including 46 feature films, two web series, and 11 documentary projects,” Chandravansi said.
The policy entails tiered subsidies, capped at Rs 4 crore, depending on the language and nature of the film project, the secretary said, adding that “local languages and themes receive higher subsidies in the tune of 50 per cent.” The minister informed that 411 artists have been identified under the Mukhyamantri Kalakar Pension Yojna, which provides eligible artists with Rs 3,000 per month.
Additionally, scholarships and grants are being provided to meritorious youths and selected institutions to promote art and culture in Bihar. PTI SUK MNB
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