UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — GYAN BHARATAM MISSION
Q1. The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Culture. Which one of the following is the sole legacy nodal body under which the Mission's manuscript activities are executed?
- A. Sahitya Akademi
- B. National Mission for Manuscripts, under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts
- C. Raja Rammohun Roy Library Foundation
- D. National Archives of India
Q2. The Gyan Bharatam Mission has been classified as a 'Central Sector Scheme'. Which one of the following best describes what this classification means?
- A. A scheme wholly funded by the Union Government and implemented directly through central agencies
- B. A centrally sponsored scheme funded on a 60:40 Centre-State basis, introduced in 2003
- C. A scheme funded entirely by State Governments with only technical support from the Centre
- D. An externally aided project funded and monitored by UNESCO
Q3. With reference to the evolution of the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) into the Gyan Bharatam Mission, consider the following statements:
1. The NMM was established in 2003 under the Ministry of Culture.
2. The NMM functions as a unit under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
3. The NMM has been restructured and subsumed into the Gyan Bharatam Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
4. The NMM was originally established as a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- The NMM was established in 2003 under the Ministry of Culture.
- The NMM functions as a unit under the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
- The NMM has been restructured and subsumed into the Gyan Bharatam Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
- The NMM was originally established as a statutory body created by an Act of Parliament.
- A. 1 and 2 only
- B. 1, 2 and 3
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q4. The National Mission for Manuscripts was established in 2003 and was restructured into the Gyan Bharatam Mission when the latter was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26. How many years separate the establishment of the NMM from its restructuring into the Gyan Bharatam Mission?
- A. 20 years
- B. 22 years
- C. 25 years
- D. 18 years
Q5. With reference to the financial framework of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, consider the following statements:
1. The Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
2. It has been approved as a Central Sector Scheme for the period 2024-31 with a total outlay of ₹482.85 crore.
3. An allocation of ₹60 crore has been made for the financial year 2025-26.
4. The Standing Finance Committee sanctioned ₹60 crore for the period 2025-2031.
Which of the statements given above are correctly identified?
- The Mission was announced in the Union Budget 2025-26.
- It has been approved as a Central Sector Scheme for the period 2024-31 with a total outlay of ₹482.85 crore.
- An allocation of ₹60 crore has been made for the financial year 2025-26.
- The Standing Finance Committee sanctioned ₹60 crore for the period 2025-2031.
- A. 1, 2 and 3
- B. 1 and 4 only
- C. 2, 3 and 4
- D. 1, 3 and 4
Q6. With reference to the funding and classification of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, consider the following statements:
1. It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Culture.
2. The Standing Finance Committee has sanctioned ₹491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031.
3. The allocation for the financial year 2025-26 is ₹60 crore.
4. It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme funded on a 60:40 Centre-State sharing basis.
Which one of the statements given above is NOT correct?
- It is a Central Sector Scheme of the Ministry of Culture.
- The Standing Finance Committee has sanctioned ₹491.66 crore for the period 2025-2031.
- The allocation for the financial year 2025-26 is ₹60 crore.
- It is a Centrally Sponsored Scheme funded on a 60:40 Centre-State sharing basis.
- A. 1 only
- B. 2 and 3
- C. 4 only
- D. 1 and 4
Q7. With reference to the verticals/objectives of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, consider the following:
1. Survey and documentation of manuscripts.
2. Scientific conservation and preservation of manuscripts.
3. Large-scale digitisation to build a National Digital Manuscripts Library.
4. Modernisation and digital networking of about 9,000 public libraries across India.
Which of the above are correctly identified as components of the Mission?
- Survey and documentation of manuscripts.
- Scientific conservation and preservation of manuscripts.
- Large-scale digitisation to build a National Digital Manuscripts Library.
- Modernisation and digital networking of about 9,000 public libraries across India.
- A. 1, 2 and 4
- B. 2, 3 and 4
- C. 1, 2 and 3
- D. 3 and 4
Q8. The Gyan Bharatam Mission is described as the effort to preserve the world's largest manuscript repository. Which one of the following figures represents its headline coverage target?
- A. Over 44 lakh manuscripts
- B. Over 1 crore manuscripts
- C. Over 50 lakh manuscripts
- D. Over 5 crore manuscripts
Q9. The first Gyan Bharatam International Conference, held in September 2025, was addressed by which one of the following dignitaries?
- A. The President of India
- B. The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi
- C. The Union Minister of Culture
- D. The Vice-President of India
Q10. What was the theme of the first Gyan Bharatam International Conference held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi, in September 2025?
- A. 'Reclaiming India's Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage'
- B. 'Preserving India's Manuscript Heritage for Viksit Bharat @2047'
- C. 'Digitising India's Ancient Knowledge Systems'
- D. 'Indian Knowledge Systems for the Twenty-First Century'
Q11. As per the February 2026 update on the Gyan Bharatam Mission, a total of 45 centres have been onboarded. Which single category accounts for the largest share of these centres?
- A. Independent centres
- B. Cluster centres
- C. Technical partners for metadata creation
- D. State/UT nodal coordinating authorities