NMM has documented 43 lakh manuscripts and digitized 2.85 lakh manuscripts till date: Culture Minister

New Delhi: National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) is engaged in documentation of Indian manuscripts. The documentation of manuscripts is done without any distinction between rare and common manuscripts. The manuscripts are possessed by the owners of the manuscripts. The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) obtains manuscripts data in soft copies from the Manuscripts Resource Centres (MRCs) established in State Archives, Universities and Institutions having large deposits of manuscripts. The soft copy of metadata furnished by the MRCs is restored in NMM server and after verification of data it is uploaded on the website of NMM.

During the last decade only one case was reported.

As per the provisions of Antiquities and Art Treasures Act, 1972 administered by the Archeological Survey of India (ASI), the cases of stolen manuscripts are dealt with.

Till date NMM has documented 43 lakh manuscripts (including rare manuscripts) and digitized 2.85 lakh manuscripts containing 2.95 crore pages which are stored in DVDs and hard disks.

This information was given by Minister of State (IC) for Culture and Minister of State for Environment, Forest & Climate Change Dr. Mahesh Sharma in a written reply in Lok Sabha today.