Digital Preservation of Indian Art, Culture, and Heritage

Context:

The Ministry of Culture has announced multiple digital initiatives for the preservation and promotion of manuscripts, artefacts, monuments, and performing arts, ensuring wider public access through technology.

Digitisation of Heritage and Manuscripts

ASI’s NMMA Project: Digitally documented 1,18,359 antiquities and artefacts.
Gyan Bharatam Mission: Digitised 3.5 lakh manuscripts in collaboration with 37 institutions.
JATAN Software (by C-DAC Pune): Used for museum collection digitisation.

Archival and Audio-Visual Documentation

AbhilekhPatal (NAI): Digital repository of historical documents and records.
NCAA: Repository for rare and endangered cultural audio-visual recordings.
Seven Zonal Cultural Centres (ZCCs): Located at Patiala, Prayagraj, Kolkata, Dimapur, Thanjavur, Nagpur, and Udaipur — working on documentation of performing and visual arts.

Digital Promotion Platforms and Cultural Integration

Hampi Archaeological Museum Virtual App: Developed under National Culture Fund with AAI.
National Virtual Library of India (NVLI): Provides multilingual digital access to cultural resources.
Schemes include Kala Sanskriti Vikas Yojana (Guru-Shishya Parampara), National Mission on Manuscripts, and Cultural Mapping and Roadmap.