India and France's national library sign manuscript preservation partnership under Gyan Bharatam

Exam-focused facts from the 29 October 2026 current affairs briefing.

Key facts

India's Ministry of Culture signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Bibliotheque nationale de France (BnF) in Paris under the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
The agreement covers preservation, digitisation, research and dissemination of manuscript and documentary heritage.
India's National Archives and the National Library in Kolkata will participate alongside BnF in identifying and digitising Indic-origin manuscripts held by the French library.
Collaboration includes cross-sharing through the National Digital Repository, conservation and research, and exchanges in cataloguing standards and OCR/HTR tools for Indian scripts.
The National Digital Repository is envisioned as a secure repository for Indian-origin manuscripts and Indian Knowledge Systems globally.