UPSC Prelims Practice Questions — DIGITISATION OF MANUSCRIPTS (GYAN BHARATAM MISSION)

Q1. The Gyan Bharatam Mission is a flagship initiative implemented primarily by which Union Ministry?

  • A. Ministry of Culture
  • B. Ministry of Education
  • C. Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology
  • D. Ministry of Tourism

Q2. The Gyan Bharatam Mission has been approved as a Central Sector Scheme for which period?

  • A. 2024-31
  • B. 2021-26
  • C. 2025-30
  • D. 2024-29

Q3. In the context of the Gyan Bharatam Mission, the status of the National Mission for Manuscripts (2003) is best described as which one of the following?

  • A. Restructured and subsumed into the Gyan Bharatam Mission with a larger, technology-driven framework
  • B. Discontinued and replaced by an entirely unrelated scheme under the National Archives
  • C. Merged into the Archaeological Survey of India as a documentation wing
  • D. Renamed with no change in mandate, outlay or institutional structure

Q4. Approximately how many manuscripts had been digitised under the legacy National Mission for Manuscripts?

  • A. 3.5 lakh
  • B. 8 lakh
  • C. 1.29 lakh
  • D. 50 lakh

Q5. The National Digital Repository (NDR) for manuscripts under the Gyan Bharatam Mission is operationalised through which body?

  • A. Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA)
  • B. National Informatics Centre (NIC)
  • C. National Archives of India
  • D. National Library, Kolkata

Q6. With reference to the digitisation status under the Gyan Bharatam Mission, consider the following statements: 1. More than 8 lakh digitised manuscripts are available in formats such as DVD, HDD and microfilm. 2. Around 1.29 lakh manuscripts are accessible to the public on the National Digital Repository. 3. The Mission targets digitisation of ten crore manuscripts over the next five years. Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

  1. More than 8 lakh digitised manuscripts are available in formats such as DVD, HDD and microfilm.
  2. Around 1.29 lakh manuscripts are accessible to the public on the National Digital Repository.
  3. The Mission targets digitisation of ten crore manuscripts over the next five years.
  • A. 1 and 2 only
  • B. 1 and 3 only
  • C. 2 and 3 only
  • D. 1, 2 and 3

Q7. The Gyan Bharatam Mission aims to survey, document, conserve and digitise more than how many manuscripts?

  • A. One crore
  • B. Fifty lakh
  • C. Ten lakh
  • D. Eight lakh

Q8. Which of the following was launched on 16 March 2026 under the Gyan Bharatam Mission to build a comprehensive national database of manuscripts?

  • A. National Manuscript Survey
  • B. National Digital Repository
  • C. Gyan Bharatam International Conference
  • D. National Mission for Manuscripts

Q9. India's manuscript wealth, which the Gyan Bharatam Mission seeks to recover, is estimated at over how many works?

  • A. Five million
  • B. One crore
  • C. Thirty-five lakh
  • D. Eight lakh

Q10. With reference to the Gyan Bharatam International Conference, consider the following: 1. It was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi. 2. Its theme was 'Reclaiming India's Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage'. 3. It was held in September 2025. 4. It was the third edition of the conference. Which of the above is/are correctly identified?

  1. It was held at Vigyan Bhawan, New Delhi.
  2. Its theme was 'Reclaiming India's Knowledge Legacy through Manuscript Heritage'.
  3. It was held in September 2025.
  4. It was the third edition of the conference.
  • A. 1, 2 and 3
  • B. 2 and 4
  • C. 1, 3 and 4
  • D. 1, 2, 3 and 4

Q11. Unlike the plan-period funding route of the legacy National Mission for Manuscripts, the Gyan Bharatam Mission is implemented as which type of scheme?

  • A. Central Sector Scheme (fully Centre-funded)
  • B. Centrally Sponsored Scheme with Centre-State cost sharing
  • C. State Sector Scheme implemented by States
  • D. Externally Aided Project funded by a multilateral agency

Q12. In which Union Budget was the Gyan Bharatam Mission announced?

  • A. Union Budget 2025-26
  • B. Union Budget 2024-25
  • C. Union Budget 2023-24
  • D. Union Budget 2026-27
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