National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM): An Overview
National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) is one of the premier undertakings of the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India. It was started in 2003 and basically aims at identifying, cataloguing, preservation and publication of manuscripts of India. Such a project serves to convey how knowledge needs to be passed down across the generations for it to be useful.
National Mission for Manuscripts Under Which Ministry?
Thus, the NMM was located under the Ministry of Culture. It is functioned by the Department of Culture with the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts , New Delhi as the nodal organization for implementation of this scheme. The IGNCA monitors its functioning to ensure optimum conservation and sharing of the manuscript legacy.
What Is the Role of National Mission for Manuscripts?
The role of the NMM encompasses several critical activities:
- Preservation: Preservation of endangered manuscripts in order to make them last longer.
- Documentation: Making duplicates as a precaution to wear and tear and to make circulation easier through the use of the computer.
- Digitization: Publishing manuscript content to scholars, researchers and the populace.
- Knowledge Sharing: Courses and Seminars to educate people and build capacity about manuscripts preservation and restoration.
- Capacity Building: Conducting workshops and training programs to raise awareness and develop expertise in manuscript conservation.
Scope of Manuscript Heritage in India
India has at least five million manuscripts, which can perhaps be considered the largest in the world. Some 70 per cent of these manuscripts are written in Sanskrit, which actually represents the diversity of the Indian culture and language.
Manuscript Resource and Conservation Network
To meet its objectives, the NMM has established a robust network across India:
- Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs): More than one hundred centers aimed at searching and providing descriptions of manuscripts.
- Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs): Manuscript conservation libraries Quarries that take keeping of manuscripts for they are meant to be preserved for long.
National Mission for Manuscripts: Key Achievements
The mission has made remarkable strides since its inception:
Documentation and Conservation
- 5.2 million manuscripts documented from various regions.
- 90 million folios conserved, safeguarding priceless historical records.
Digitization and Accessibility
- 3.5 lakh manuscripts digitized, encompassing 3.5 crore pages.
- About 1.4 lakh manuscripts uploaded to the mission’s web portal, with 75,000 manuscripts freely available for public access.
Publishing Efforts
Since its launch, the NMM has published over 100 books. These publications contribute significantly to the study and understanding of India’s manuscript legacy, offering insights to scholars and the general public alike.
Workshops and Training
In an effort to address the issue of conservation, the mission has held over l00 conservation workshops where major professionals have been trained in some of the most modern techniques in manuscript conservation. The intention behind these programs is to foster a committed workforce towards advancement of India’s manuscript legacy.
National Mission for Manuscripts for Sale
Although our main aim is the preservation and documentation of these Old Swahili manuscripts, some of these documents have been made available for scholarly use and public strengthening. But, the focus is shifted towards conservation rather than marketing.
National Mission for Manuscripts Found: Unlocking Hidden Knowledge
Several comes across various manuscripts which are extremely rare and beneficial for carrying out an effective and comprehensive history of India through the work of NMM. These findings offer insight into the political, social, artistic and linguistic cultural of the country.
Conserving the Past for the Future
Justifying its existence through its motto “Conserving the past for the future ‘the National Mission for Manuscripts is a reflection of India’s seriousness in conserving its past. However, the Union Ministry of Culture is making considerable efforts for making future generations to avail this invaluable heritage by reviving the NMM and even stumbling upon the idea of creating an autonomous body for this purpose.