Content:
- Dekho Apna Desh Initiative
- National Mission for Manuscripts
Dekho Apna Desh Initiative
Background :
- Launch: January 2020 by the Ministry of Tourism.
- Objective: Promotion of domestic tourism and enhancement of travel experiences for Indian citizens.
- Key Features:
- Encouraging citizens to explore India’s diverse cultural and natural heritage.
- Engaging the public through Webinars, Quizzes, Pledges, Seminars, Roadshows, Social Media, and Fam Tours.
- Strengthening tourism-related infrastructure, awareness, and employment generation.
Relevance : GS 3(Tourism ,Economy)
Key Components of the Initiative
- Dekho Apna Desh People’s Choice Poll:
- Public participation in identifying the most preferred tourist destinations.
- Promotes a bottom-up approach to tourism planning.
- Revamped Incredible India Website:
- Provides tour programs and package details in collaboration with stakeholders.
- Enhances accessibility to travel information and bookings.
- State-wise Domestic Tourist Visits (DTV) Data:
- Helps in tracking the impact of the initiative and identifying high-potential tourism areas.
- Reflects tourism trends and informs policy adjustments.
Impact on Domestic Tourism (2020-2023)
- Steady growth in Domestic Tourist Visits (DTV) post-pandemic, with an exponential increase in 2022 and 2023.
- DTV in 2020: 610.2 million (pandemic impact).
- DTV in 2023: 2.5 billion, indicating a strong recovery.
- States with Highest Domestic Tourist Visits (2023):
- Uttar Pradesh – 478.5 million
- Tamil Nadu – 286.0 million
- Karnataka – 284.1 million
- Rajasthan – 179.0 million
- Gujarat – 178.0 million
- States with Notable Growth Trends:
- Bihar: From 2.5 million (2021) to 81.5 million (2023).
- Madhya Pradesh: From 35.8 million (2022) to 111.9 million (2023).
- Jammu & Kashmir: Significant post-pandemic rebound, reaching 20.6 million in 2023.
Future Prospects & Policy Implications
- Boosting Local Economies & Employment Generation:
- Increased tourism leads to growth in hospitality, transport, handicrafts, and local businesses.
- Strengthening of homestay tourism and eco-tourism models.
- Sustainable Tourism & Infrastructure Development:
- Emphasis on eco-friendly tourism, rural tourism, and spiritual tourism.
- Integration with Swadesh Darshan 2.0 and PRASHAD schemes for infrastructure upgrades.
- Leveraging Digital & Social Media Platforms:
- Improved online engagement and virtual tourism experiences.
- Targeted promotion of lesser-known destinations for equitable tourism growth.
- Skill Development & Capacity Building in Tourism Sector:
- Expansion of tourism-related training programs under Skill India.
- Strengthening public-private partnerships (PPP) for quality enhancement.
Context & Related Developments
- Policy Synergies:
- National Tourism Policy 2022 – Focus on domestic tourism and sustainable practices.
- Atmanirbhar Bharat & Vocal for Local – Encouraging local handicrafts, cuisines, and cultural tourism.
- State Tourism Policies – Alignment with states’ strategic tourism plans for better implementation.
- Lessons from Past Tourism Trends:
- COVID-19 Impact (2020-2021): Disruptions in travel but led to a renewed focus on domestic tourism.
- Pre-pandemic boom (2015-2019): Strong domestic tourism growth due to improved connectivity and cultural campaigns.
- Comparisons with Global Tourism Models:
- Learning from countries like Thailand and Japan, which successfully boosted domestic tourism through incentives and marketing.
Conclusion
The Dekho Apna Desh initiative has played a crucial role in reviving domestic tourism post-COVID, contributing to economic growth, employment, and cultural promotion. Moving forward, leveraging technology, sustainable tourism models, and improved infrastructure will be key to ensuring long-term success.
National Mission for Manuscripts
Introduction & Background
- India possesses one of the world’s richest manuscript traditions, with texts spanning diverse languages, disciplines, and historical periods.
- Recognizing the need to preserve this invaluable heritage, the National Mission for Manuscripts (NMM) was launched in 2003 under the Ministry of Culture.
- In 2024, NMM was restructured and renamed as ‘Gyan Bharatam Mission’ (2024-31), with an allocation of ₹482.85 crores.
- The initiative aims to enhance digitization, conservation, and accessibility of India’s manuscript wealth.
Relevance : GS 1(Heritage ) ,GS 2(Digitization)
Key Objectives and Components of Gyan Bharatam Mission
Survey & Documentation
- Nationwide survey and registration of manuscripts.
- Creation of a comprehensive database of India’s manuscript wealth.
Conservation & Preservation
- Scientific conservation of fragile and rare manuscripts using advanced techniques.
- Establishment of Manuscript Conservation Centres (MCCs) across institutions.
Digitization & Online Access
- Large-scale digitization of manuscripts to ensure long-term preservation.
- Creation of a National Digital Manuscripts Library for public access.
- As of now:
- 3.5 lakh manuscripts covering 3.5 crore folios digitized.
- 1,35,000 manuscripts uploaded on namami.gov.in, with 76,000 available for free access.
- Aim: Complete digitization of fragile and rare folios within the next five years
Publication & Research
- Editing, translating, and publishing rare manuscripts to promote scholarly research.
- Encouraging interdisciplinary studies using ancient texts.
Capacity Building & Training
- Training programs in manuscriptology, paleography, and conservation techniques.
- Creation of a new generation of manuscriptologists through institutional collaborations.
Outreach & Awareness
- Organizing exhibitions, workshops, and manuscript festivals to engage scholars and the public.
- Special emphasis on regional manuscripts (Sanskrit, Persian, Arabic, etc.).
Collaboration with Institutions
- Partnerships with academic institutions, private collectors, and research organizations.
- Key contributions from Sampurnanand Sanskrit University, Varanasi, and other reputed institutions in Uttar Pradesh.
Future Prospects & Impact
- Academia & Research
- Scholarly research on ancient knowledge systems, linguistics, and cultural heritage.
- Use of manuscripts in historical, philosophical, and literary research.
- Technology Integration
- AI-based OCR (Optical Character Recognition) for converting manuscripts into searchable digital text.
- Use of blockchain technology for authenticity verification.
- Tourism & Cultural Economy
- Promotion of heritage tourism through manuscript exhibitions and festivals.
- Encouragement of public-private partnerships in heritage conservation.
- Education & Awareness
- Integration of manuscript studies in school and university curricula.
- Establishment of regional manuscript resource centers for better access.
Historical & Policy Context
- Ancient Knowledge Systems
- India’s manuscript tradition dates back to the Vedic era, covering subjects like philosophy, science, mathematics, and medicine.
- Significant collections in Nalanda, Vikramashila, and Takshashila were lost due to invasions.
- Past Government Initiatives
- 2003: Establishment of the National Mission for Manuscripts.
- 2007: Launch of Manuscript Resource Centres (MRCs) across states.
- 2017: National Virtual Library of India (NVLI) launched for digital heritage access.
- Legal & Institutional Framework
- Manuscripts Act, 1954: Defines conservation and ownership of manuscripts.
- Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains Act, 1958: Covers heritage protection.
- Archives and Libraries under ASI & IGNCA contribute to preservation efforts.
Challenges & Way Forward
Challenges
- Lack of Awareness: Manuscripts are often seen as relics rather than knowledge sources.
- Decentralized & Unstructured Collections: Manuscripts scattered across temples, private collections, and institutions.
- Technological Barriers: Many manuscripts in fragile condition unsuitable for direct scanning.
- Limited Expert Manpower: Shortage of trained manuscriptologists, conservationists, and linguists.
Way Forward
- Strengthening Institutional Framework: Establishment of regional conservation hubs for systematic preservation.
- Enhanced Digitization & AI Use: Use of AI-based transcription for automatic text conversion.
- Public-Private Partnerships: Corporate CSR funding for manuscript conservation projects.
- Community Participation: Involving local scholars and artisans in preservation.
- Policy Strengthening: Legislation to mandate digital submission of manuscripts before export/sale.
