New Delhi, Sep 12 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday launched the Gyan Bharatam Portal aimed at accelerating the digitisation.

Highlighting that millions of manuscripts were destroyed and lost in the cruel tides of history, the Prime Minister stressed that there was a need to explore the past through technology.

Emphasising the importance of preservation and public access to manuscripts, the Prime Minister said that despite the destruction in the past, India still possesses the world's largest collection and stressedd that there are approximately one crore manuscripts in India's possession.

'Unlike modern notions of nationhood, India possesses a distinct cultural identity, its own consciousness, and its own soul,' the Prime Minister said, emphasising that India's history is not merely a record of dynastic victories and defeats.

He noted that while the geography of princely states and kingdoms has changed over time, India has remained intact from the Himalayas to the Indian Ocean.

Stating that every nation presents its historical assets to the world as symbols of civilizational greatness, the Prime Minister noted that countries preserve even a single manuscript or artefact as a national treasure.

He emphasised that India possesses an immense wealth of manuscripts, which are a matter of national pride.

'India's knowledge tradition remains rich to this day because it is built on four foundational pillars of Preservation, Innovation, Addition, and Adaptation,' he said.

Pointing to the critical dimension of the Gyan Bharatam Mission and its role in unlocking new domains of research and innovation, PM Modi noted that the global cultural and creative industry is valued at approximately $2.5 trillion.

He said that digitised manuscripts will feed into the value chains of this industry. The Prime Minister remarked that these crores of manuscripts and the ancient knowledge embedded within them will serve as a vast data bank, affirming that this will give a fresh push to data-driven innovation.

PM Modi said that new opportunities will emerge for youth in the tech field, and as manuscript digitisation progresses, new possibilities will also open up for academic research.

Noting that to study these digitised manuscripts effectively, the use of advanced technologies like Artificial Intelligence must be increased, the Prime Minister said that with the help of AI, ancient manuscripts can be understood in greater depth and analysed more comprehensively.

He remarked that AI can also assist in presenting the knowledge contained in these manuscripts to the world in an authentic and impactful manner.

Appealing to the youth of the nation to come forward and actively participate in the Gyan Bharatam Mission, PM Modi emphasised the importance of exploring the past through technology.

He stated that efforts must be made to make this knowledge accessible to humanity on evidence-based parameters.

The Prime Minister also urged universities and institutes across the country to take new initiatives in this direction. Noting that the entire nation is moving forward with the spirit of Swadeshi and the resolve of Atmanirbhar Bharat, PM Modi affirmed that this mission is an extension of that national spirit.

He stated that India must transform its heritage into a symbol of its strength. The Prime Minister said that the Gyan Bharatam Mission will mark the beginning of a new chapter for the future.

/IANS