Patna: The state govt has intensified efforts to preserve and digitise rare manuscripts under the Centre’s GyanBharatamMission, with more than eight lakh manuscripts identified across the state’s 38 districts, art and culture minister Pramod Kumar Chandravansi said on Wednesday.Kumar said artificial intelligence tools would be used to transliterate scripts such as Brahmi and Kaithi into Hindi and English. AI would also help generate concise summaries of the manuscripts, making their contents easier to access and understand.The mission aims to conserve ancient manuscripts and make them accessible through digital platforms. Chandravansi said the state was prioritising the documentation and preservation of rare palm-leaf and paper manuscripts housed in libraries, museums and private collections using advanced technology.To accelerate the exercise, the state govt earlier this year approved an expenditure of Rs 6.23 crore for conservation and digitisation work.Art and culture department secretary Pranav Kumar said the project was being implemented in phases, including identification, digitisation and preparation of metadata for the manuscripts. He said surveys had been conducted to locate manuscripts in both institutional repositories and private collections.Once identified, fragile and damaged manuscripts are being restored before being scanned and digitised. The digitised material will form an online repository accessible to scholars, researchers and the public in India and abroad.
