India and France Sign MoU for Manuscript Preservation
Ministry of Culture · Art & Culture · Posted 27 OCT 2026 7:37PM
What happened
The Ministry of Culture signed an MoU with the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris on October 26, 2026, under the Gyan Bharatam Mission to digitise, conserve, and research Indic-origin manuscripts. The collaboration includes technology exchange, cross-sharing on the National Digital Repository, and scholarly exchanges.
Why it matters for UPSC
This partnership highlights India's international cultural diplomacy and efforts in preserving and digitising its ancient manuscript heritage under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, relevant for the art and culture syllabus regarding the preservation of historical artifacts and records.
Key objectives
- Signed MoU between the Ministry of Culture and Bibliothèque nationale de France under the Gyan Bharatam Mission to preserve Indic-origin manuscripts.
- Cooperation framework spans five key areas: Digitisation, Cross-Sharing on the National Digital Repository, Technology Exchange, Conservation, and Research & Development.
- Focuses on identifying and digitising manuscripts, exchanging OCR/HTR tools for Indian scripts, and organizing joint workshops and scholarly exchanges.