Haryana Government to launch statewide mission to preserve ancient manuscripts

In a bid to connect the youth with their roots and make ancient knowledge accessible to present and future generations, the Haryana Archives Department has decided to launch a state-wide mission to identify, document and preserve old manuscripts across all districts.

As part of the initiative, residents will be encouraged to donate historical documents, maps and old photographs to the State Archives through an Archives Donation Campaign.

Haryana Chief Secretary Anurag Rastogi held a video conference with Deputy Commissioners of all districts in this regard on Thursday.

Following the meeting, Mahendragarh Deputy Commissioner Capt Manoj Kumar said the initiative had been taken up by the Haryana Government in coordination with the Union Ministry of Culture to preserve the country’s ancient cultural and intellectual heritage.

The Deputy Commissioner said a detailed discussion was held with the Chief Secretary on the effective implementation of the National Manuscript Survey under the Gyan Bharatam Mission.

“This initiative of the government will revive the glorious history of the state and prove to be a milestone in making the centuries-old knowledge accessible to the modern generation,” he said.

He added that district-level committees would be constituted for the identification, documentation and preservation of manuscripts.

Capt Manoj Kumar said the campaign would be particularly effective in a historically significant district like Mahendragarh, where numerous ancient temples, monasteries, educational institutions and private collections exist.

He further revealed that under the mission, ancient manuscripts, palm-leaf records and rare documents housed in government libraries, private institutions and religious places would be physically verified and geo-tagged.

The Haryana Archives Department has been designated as the state nodal agency for the mission and will coordinate with the Union Ministry of Culture to complete the nationwide survey by June 15.

“Through the Archives Donation Campaign, residents will be encouraged to donate historical letters, maps and old photographs to the State Archives so that they can be scientifically preserved,” the Deputy Commissioner said.

He added that, in line with the National Education Policy, youth are also being involved in conservation work through the Heritage Internship Programme.