3.5 lakh manuscripts digitised since 2003: Govt tells Lok Sabha
PTI
New Delhi, Aug 11 (PTI) Since 2003, a total of 3.5 lakh manuscripts have been digitised, the government informed the Lok Sabha on Monday.
Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, in a written response to a query, also said there are 92 Manuscript Conservation Centres established so far, of which 42 are presently active.
He was asked whether the government proposes to host first-ever international Manuscript Heritage Conference titled 'Reclaiming India's Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage" in September 2025 to commemorate Swami Vivekananda's Chicago address (September 11, 1893) as a part of Gyan Bharatam Mission.
'Yes. The government proposes to host the first-ever international Manuscript Heritage Conference titled 'Reclaiming India's Knowledge Legacy Through Manuscript Heritage' in September 2025.
'This event is planned to commemorate the 132nd Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's historic address at the Parliament of the World's Religions held in Chicago on September 11, 1893," the minister said.
The conference aims to bring together scholars, historians, manuscript experts and cultural practitioners from across the world to explore, preserve and promote India's vast and diverse manuscript heritage, the government said.
In his response, the Union culture minister said that since 2003, a total of 3.50 lakh manuscripts have been digitised.
'There are 92 Manuscript Conservation Centres established so far, of which 42 are presently active. Additionally, there are 93 Manuscript Resource Centres, with 37 currently active," he added. PTI KND RT RT
view comments
First Published:
August 11, 2025, 16:00 IST
Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
8 minutes ago
- The Hindu
Modi should strongly oppose U.S. imposing 50% tariff, says Chief Minister Stalin
Chief Minister M.K. Stalin said in Chennai on Tuesday that the BJP-led Union government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should strongly oppose the U.S. imposing 50% tariff on Indian imports and both should be open about their position. He was speaking at an event organised jointly by the National Committee of Solidarity with Cuba in India and the CPI(M). When five rounds of trade negotiations between India and the U.S. were completed and a date was being finalised for the sixth round, 'Why should U.S. President [Donald] Trump arbitrarily announce the imposing of additional tariff?', Mr. Stalin asked. Referring to the repeated claims of Mr. Trump that he was behind the ceasefire between India and Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, Mr. Stalin said: 'When the Opposition parties raised queries over that in both Houses of Parliament, Prime Minister Modi did not answer at all. It symbolises his weakness.' Observing that there was a crisis across the world, where there is a need to crush imperialism, Mr. Stalin said imperialist conspiracies did not mean only wars. 'The U.S. imposing 50% tariff on imports from India is also one such conspiracy,' he asserted. 'The BJP-led Union government should strongly oppose this. The Centre and Prime Minister Narendra Modi should provide a transparent reply to this,' Mr. Stalin said. Takes a dig at EPS Talking about the politics in Tamil Nadu, Mr. Stalin said AIADMK general secretary Edappadi K. Palaniswami had developed a new found love for the Communists in recent days. Contending that people spoke about random topics, Mr. Stalin asked whether Mr. Palaniswami could speak about 'slavery'. 'I want to tell him that none is a slave to nobody. Everyone is wondering if Mr. Palaniswami reads newspapers. Even so, you would surely not read Theekkathir [considered a mouthpiece of the CPI(M)]. If you had read it, you would not be speaking like this. I read Theekkathir every day,' he said. Mr. Stalin said he listened to what Communist leaders spoke whenever he had time. 'They have not stopped flagging issues just because we are in an alliance, and I have not ignored the issues that they have highlighted. Because, half of us are communists. After all, my name is Stalin,' he asserted. Mr. Stalin added: 'We know how to distinguish pointing out with a friendly demeanour from deliberate defamation with ulterior motives. Even this stage symbolises our ideological clarity and friendship.' Minister P.K. Sekarbabu, Cuban Ambassador to India Juan Carlos Marsán Aguilera, CPI(M) leaders M.A. Baby, K. Balakrishnan, U. Vasuki, and P. Shanmugam, CPI State secretary R. Mutharasan, Director of The Hindu Publishing Group N. Ram, former MP T.K. Rangarajan, National Committee of Solidarity with Cuba's State secretary A. Arumuga Nainar were present.
Hindustan Times
8 minutes ago
- Hindustan Times
Four new chip plants cleared
The Union cabinet on Tuesday approved four semiconductor units under the India Semiconductor Mission (ISM), taking the total semiconductor units in India to 10. The four upcoming units - two in Odisha's Bhubaneswar, one in Andhra Pradesh and one in Punjab's Mohali - will have total investments worth ₹4,594 crore. Four new chip plants cleared 'The highest value addition for electronics in the world is at 38% (China), which they achieved in three decades. India will reach there in 1.5 decades,' said Ashwini Vaishnaw, minister of electronics and information technology, at a media briefing at Rail Bhawan. The minister said that with these four additional units, value addition in electronics in India will rise from the current nearly 20% to over 30%. The newly approved projects include SiCSem Pvt. Ltd. in Odisha, with a ₹2,066 crore investment, which will produce silicon carbide-based diodes and MOSFETs; Heterogeneous Integration Packaging Solutions Pvt. Ltd. (HIPSPL) which will invest ₹1,943 crore to produce 70,000 glass panels annually; Continental Device India Pvt. Ltd. (CDIL) which will set up a facility high-power discrete semiconductor components in Mohali with an investment of ₹117 crore and a production capacity of up to 158 million units per year; and Advanced System in Package Technologies Pvt. Ltd. (ASIP) which will invest ₹468 crore to manufacture 96 million units of chips used in consumer electronics annually. 'The industry is witnessing a shift from silicon to silicon carbide, as the latter remains stable under high temperatures and high voltages,' said Vaishnaw. 'In applications like missiles or rockets, where electronics operate in extreme conditions, silicon carbide is the preferred choice.' The minister added that a dedicated research unit for silicon carbide has been established at IIT Bhubaneswar with an investment of ₹45 crore. 'Researchers there have successfully experimented with making wafers from silicon carbide powder,' he said. 'They heat the powder to 2,400 degrees Celsius, turning it into vapour, which is then deposited in layers onto a seed-sized piece of silicon carbide. This process is repeated until the crystal grows to about the size of a potato. Then they slice and make wafers out of it.' The facilities are expected to start construction in the next six months, as was the case with the six semiconductor plants announced previously. HT has learnt that the SiCSem facility in Odisha will be completed by 2027. 'India is making rapid strides in the semiconductor sector, building a robust ecosystem to power our digital future and drive global innovation. Today's Cabinet decision relating to approval of semiconductor units in Andhra Pradesh, Odisha and Punjab will boost manufacturing capacity, create high-skilled jobs and position India as a key player in the global supply chain' said Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a post on X. The ISM, launched in 2021 with an outlay of ₹76,000 crore, has so far approved six units - four in Gujarat, one in Assam, and one in Uttar Pradesh. The minister said that the first made-in-India chip is expected to come out in the next two to three months, and that there is serious competition brewing between three of these units to produce the first made in India chip before 2025. A senior IT ministry official told HT that the three competing units are all located in Gujarat, namely the Tata-Micron OSAT facility, the CG Power-Renesas OSAT facility, and the Kaynes Technology OSAT facility. All three are located in Sanand. To be sure, the first 'made-in-India' chip will be a packaged chip, not one produced by a fabrication unit. The latest announcement positions India to meet at least 50–60% of its semiconductor demand in the coming decade, Pankaj Mohindroo, chairman of the India Cellular & Electronics Association (ICEA), told HT. 'There are significant geo-economic challenges and Aatmanirbharta (self-reliance) in a foundational industry, and friend-shoring are critical national policies for foundational industries like Semicon,' he added.
News18
18 minutes ago
- News18
Putin Updates Kim Jong Un About Alaska Meeting With Trump In Phone Call: Report
During their conversation, the two leaders discussed a range of bilateral matters, including strengthening diplomatic relations. Russian President Vladimir Putin is preparing for the upcoming summit with US President Donald Trump, scheduled to take place in Anchorage, Alaska, on August 15. The bilateral meeting is expected to focus on efforts to end the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war, and comes amid heightened geopolitical manoeuvring. In the days leading up to the summit, President Putin held a phone conversation with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un, according to Russian state media outlet RIA Novosti. Citing a statement from the Kremlin press service, the report noted that Putin informed the leader of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (DPRK) about the planned meeting with President Trump. 'The President of Russia warmly congratulated the Korean leader on the upcoming national holiday – the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Korea from Japanese colonial rule celebrated on August 15. Kim Jong Un stressed that the DPRK considers this holiday common, remembers the role of the Red Army in the fight against the invaders," the Kremlin statement read. During their conversation, the two leaders discussed a range of bilateral matters, including strengthening diplomatic relations, enhancing neighbourly ties, and promoting cooperation between Moscow and Pyongyang. Putin also expressed gratitude to Kim for North Korea's continued political support, particularly referencing assistance and solidarity shown during Russia's military operations in Ukraine. Specifically, he thanked the North Korean leader for support during the 'liberation of the Kursk region from the formations of the Kiev regime" in August 2024. The phone call, held just days before Putin's anticipated meeting with Trump, underscores the Kremlin's ongoing efforts to consolidate backing from its allies, especially as Ukraine continues to seek support from European nations and NATO partners. In a related development, Reuters reported that the Russian State Duma announced on Tuesday that Vyacheslav Volodin, Speaker of the Russian Parliament, will lead a delegation on an official visit to Pyongyang on August 14-15. The visit is timed to coincide with North Korea's celebrations marking the 80th anniversary of liberation from Japanese rule at the end of World War II. Although the full list of delegation members has not been disclosed, Volodin, a close political ally of President Putin and a frequent head of Russian parliamentary delegations abroad, is confirmed to attend the commemorative events in the North Korean capital. Get breaking news, in-depth analysis, and expert perspectives on everything from geopolitics to diplomacy and global trends. Stay informed with the latest world news only on News18. Download the News18 App to stay updated! view comments First Published: Disclaimer: Comments reflect users' views, not News18's. Please keep discussions respectful and constructive. Abusive, defamatory, or illegal comments will be removed. News18 may disable any comment at its discretion. By posting, you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
