UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — Preservation and Digitization of Manuscript Heritage
Q1. Which one of the following correctly describes the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM)?
- A. An initiative under the Ministry of Culture, executed through the IGNCA, mandated to survey, document, conserve and digitize India's manuscripts
- B. A statutory body under the Archaeological Survey of India responsible for the conservation of centrally protected monuments
- C. A grant-disbursing wing of the National Archives of India for management of public records
- D. A deemed-to-be university under the Ministry of Education for advanced study of classical languages
Q2. With reference to the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM), consider the following statements:
1. It was launched in 2003 under the Ministry of Culture.
2. It has documented about 5.2 million manuscripts and conserved about 90 million folios.
3. It was constituted as a statutory body through a dedicated Act of Parliament.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It was launched in 2003 under the Ministry of Culture.
- It has documented about 5.2 million manuscripts and conserved about 90 million folios.
- It was constituted as a statutory body through a dedicated Act of Parliament.
- A. 1 only
- B. 1 and 2 only
- C. 2 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q3. Consider the following as the verticals of the Gyan Bharatam Mission:
1. Survey and Cataloguing
2. Conservation and Capacity Building
3. Defence and Strategic Archiving
4. Linguistics and Translation
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- Survey and Cataloguing
- Conservation and Capacity Building
- Defence and Strategic Archiving
- Linguistics and Translation
- A. 1, 2 and 4 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 2 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q4. With reference to the Gyan Bharatam Mission as compared with the earlier manuscript work, consider the following statements:
1. Unlike the erstwhile arrangement, it has been structured as a Central Sector Scheme.
2. It was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
3. The amount earmarked for it for the financial year 2025-26 is Rs. 482.85 crore.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- Unlike the erstwhile arrangement, it has been structured as a Central Sector Scheme.
- It was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
- The amount earmarked for it for the financial year 2025-26 is Rs. 482.85 crore.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q5. The work of conserving roughly 90 million folios of manuscripts under the National Mission for Manuscripts is carried out under the administrative aegis of which one of the following Union Ministries?
- A. Ministry of Culture
- B. Ministry of Education
- C. Ministry of Information and Broadcasting
- D. Ministry of Tourism
Q6. With reference to the conservation and digitization record of the National Mission for Manuscripts, consider the following statements:
1. It has digitized over 3.3 crore folios of manuscripts.
2. About 76,000 of the manuscripts uploaded on its portal are available in the public domain.
3. The conservation of about 90 million folios under the Mission was executed by the Archaeological Survey of India.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- It has digitized over 3.3 crore folios of manuscripts.
- About 76,000 of the manuscripts uploaded on its portal are available in the public domain.
- The conservation of about 90 million folios under the Mission was executed by the Archaeological Survey of India.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q7. With reference to India's manuscript heritage, consider the following statements:
1. India is estimated to hold over 10 million manuscripts.
2. India is regarded as the largest repository of manuscripts in the world.
3. Indian manuscripts survive in only a single script, namely Devanagari.
4. Such manuscripts are preserved in temples, monasteries, libraries and private collections.
Which of the statements given above is/are NOT correct?
- India is estimated to hold over 10 million manuscripts.
- India is regarded as the largest repository of manuscripts in the world.
- Indian manuscripts survive in only a single script, namely Devanagari.
- Such manuscripts are preserved in temples, monasteries, libraries and private collections.
- A. 3 only
- B. 1 and 3 only
- C. 3 and 4 only
- D. 2 only
Q8. As per the National Mission for Manuscripts, which one of the following best describes a 'manuscript'?
- A. A handwritten composition on materials such as paper, bark, cloth, metal or palm leaf, at least seventy-five years old and of scientific, historical or aesthetic value
- B. Any handwritten or printed document, including lithographs, that is more than fifty years old
- C. Only palm-leaf and birch-bark documents written in classical Indian languages
- D. Any official paper record formally transferred to the custody of the National Archives of India
Q9. Consider the following statements regarding the institutional arrangement for manuscript preservation in India:
1. The Ministry of Culture is the implementing ministry for manuscript preservation.
2. The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is the nodal institution executing the National Mission for Manuscripts.
3. The National Mission for Manuscripts has been subsumed under the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
4. The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme funded on a Centre-State cost-sharing basis.
Which of the above is/are correctly identified?
- The Ministry of Culture is the implementing ministry for manuscript preservation.
- The Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA) is the nodal institution executing the National Mission for Manuscripts.
- The National Mission for Manuscripts has been subsumed under the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
- The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme funded on a Centre-State cost-sharing basis.
- A. 1, 2 and 3 only
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4 only
- D. 1, 2, 3 and 4
Q10. Approximately how many manuscripts uploaded on the National Mission for Manuscripts' web portal have been made available in the public domain for free access?
- A. About 76,000
- B. About 1.35 lakh
- C. About 5.2 million
- D. About 3.3 crore
Q11. With reference to the rollout and components of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, consider the following statements:
1. States/UTs have been onboarded to act as Nodal Coordinating Authorities for its implementation.
2. Its conservation component envisages both preventive and curative methods, including the establishment or upgradation of conservation laboratories.
3. 'Conservation and Capacity Building' is the vertical specifically tasked with OCR and AI-assisted digitization.
Which of the statements given above is/are correct?
- States/UTs have been onboarded to act as Nodal Coordinating Authorities for its implementation.
- Its conservation component envisages both preventive and curative methods, including the establishment or upgradation of conservation laboratories.
- 'Conservation and Capacity Building' is the vertical specifically tasked with OCR and AI-assisted digitization.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 2 and 3 only
- C. 1 and 3 only
- D. 1, 2 and 3
Q12. As a Central Sector Scheme, the Gyan Bharatam Mission has been approved for which one of the following periods?
- A. 2024-31
- B. 2021-26
- C. 2022-27
- D. 2025-2030