The National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) will set up 100 gurukulas across the country.
-Each gurukulas will be headed by the gurus which will be selected from retired professors or historians, and be assisted by scholars or research officers. Their mandate would be to edit and translate manuscripts and finally publish four books each year.
-To be initially set up in 15 institutions to conduct research on manuscripts in various languages — Sanskrit, Arabic, Persian and Tibetan — the number would gradually grow to 100. So far nine institutions have been selected for Gurukulas. These include the Central Institute of Buddhist Studies in Leh, Nava Nalanda Mahavihara in Bihar, Saraswati Research Institute in Odisha, Dr Hari Singh Gaur University and Kundkund Gyan Peeth (both in Madhya Pradesh), Thunchan Memorial Research Centre in Kerala, Sri Chandra Shekharendra Saraswati Vishwa Mahavidyalya and Government Oriental Manuscripts Library (both in Tamil Nadu) and Central Council for Research on Ayurvedic Sciences in New Delhi, Kar added.
-A gurukul evaluation committee would screen the research proposals submitted by these institutions. Before launching research work, the gurukuls would submit the list of manuscripts they want to conduct research on and the committee would decide the priority.
-NMM was criticized for slow progress on identifying, collecting, documenting, preserving and digitising manuscripts.
About National Mission for Manuscript (NMM)
-The National Mission for Manuscripts was established in February 2003, by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India.
-A unique project in its programme and mandate, the Mission seeks to unearth and preserve the vast manuscript wealth of India.
-The motto of NMM is ‘conserving the past for the future’.
-India possesses an estimate of 10 million manuscripts, probably the largest collection in the world. These cover a variety of themes, textures and aesthetics, scripts, languages, calligraphies, illuminations and illustrations.
-NMM has so far documented 42 lakh manuscripts, digitised 2.20 lakh manuscripts with 2.5 crore pages, and published 50 volumes.
