Jammu, Mar 16: The Department of Archives, Archaeology & Museums, in collaboration with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for Arts (IGNCA) Regional Centre J&K, launched a three-day workshop and training program under the Gyan Bharatam Mission at the Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine (IIIM), Jammu. The event also marked the launch of the National Survey of Manuscripts.

Principal Secretary, Culture Department, Brij Mohan Sharma, highlighted the significance of the central flagship programme, launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in September 2025, which aims to identify, catalogue, digitize, and conserve around one crore manuscripts nationwide. In J&K, approximately 35,000 manuscripts have already been catalogued, with digitization ongoing in institutions including Kashmir University’s Persian Department.
Director, Archives, Archaeology & Museum, Kuldeep Krishan Sidha, detailed the objectives of the survey, covering conservation, technology use, capacity building, translation, research, and awareness initiatives. Dr. Jahagir Iqbal, Head of Persian Department and Cluster Head of Gyan Bharatam Mission, outlined procedures for manuscript documentation and preservation in field surveys.
Participants received guidance from coordinators and experts, including Dr. Suresh Abrol and IGNCA faculty, on scientific conservation techniques, survey methodology, and ethical standards. The interactive sessions addressed participants’ queries on the survey program and emphasized the importance of preserving manuscripts for scholarly and cultural access.