CONTENTS
- National Mission for Manuscript
- ISTIC-UNESCO
National Mission for Manuscript
Context:
Recently the Ministry of Culture and Tourism shed light on the achievements made in the National Mission for Manuscripts and National Culture Fund.
Relevance:
GS II: Government Policies and Interventions
Dimensions of the Article:
- National Mission for Manuscripts
- National Culture Fund (NCF)
National Mission for Manuscripts
- Establishment: 2003, by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture, Government of India.
- Objectives:
- Documentation
- Conservation
- Digitization
- Online dissemination of India’s manuscript heritage.
- Infrastructure: Over 100 Manuscripts Resource Centres and Manuscripts Conservation Centres across India.
- Collection: Approximately ten million manuscripts, the largest in the world, covering various themes, textures, scripts, languages, calligraphies, illuminations, and illustrations.
- Definition of a Manuscript: A handwritten document on materials like paper, bark, cloth, metal, or palm leaf, at least seventy-five years old, with significant scientific, historical, or aesthetic value.
- Distinction: Manuscripts differ from historical records like epigraphs and firmans, as they primarily convey knowledge content rather than direct historical facts.
- Diversity: Manuscripts exist in hundreds of different languages and scripts.
National Culture Fund (NCF)
- Establishment: 1996, under the Charitable Endowment Act, 1890.
- Purpose: To mobilize additional resources through Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) for promoting, protecting, and preserving India’s cultural heritage.
- Functions:
- Financing mechanism for donor/sponsor institutions to support the protection, restoration, conservation, and development of India’s cultural and heritage sites, including monuments and cultural traditions.
- Training and development of specialists and cultural administrators.
- Expanding space in existing museums and constructing new museums for special galleries.
- Documenting cultural expressions and forms that are losing relevance or facing extinction.
- Management:
- Managed by a Council chaired by the Minister of Culture and an Executive Committee chaired by the Secretary.
- Projects are overseen by a Project Implementation Committee (PIC) with representatives from donors, implementers, and NCF.
- The Comptroller and Auditor General of India annually audit the accounts of NCF.
- Platform: NCF offers a reliable and innovative platform for partnerships in heritage, culture, and the arts.
ISTIC-UNESCO
Context:
The International Science, Technology, and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation (ISTIC), under UNESCO’s auspices, is hosting a significant STI Conclave titled “Traditional Knowledge for Sustainable Livelihoods” from July 29-31, 2024, in New Delhi, India.
Relevance:
Facts for Prelims
ISTIC-UNESCO
- Full Name: The International Science, Technology and Innovation Centre for South-South Cooperation under the Auspices of UNESCO (ISTIC).
- Category: UNESCO Category 2 Centre.
- Hosting Country: Malaysia, since 2008.
- Purpose: ISTIC serves as an international platform offering sustainable programs and services aimed at enhancing sustainable development for South-South Cooperation.
- Hosting Agreement: The Centre operates under a six-year Agreement between the Malaysian Government, represented by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI), and UNESCO. The current agreement spans from February 2022 to January 2028.
- Mission: ISTIC aims to be a leading international platform providing sustainable programs and services, fostering holistic talents towards institutional excellence, and promoting sustainable development for South-South Cooperation.
- Objectives: To facilitate the exchange of students, researchers, scientists, and technologists among developing countries.
UNESCO Category 2 Centre
- Description: These are institutes and centres affiliated with UNESCO, forming a global network of institutions excelling in areas of UNESCO’s competence.
- Role: They are privileged partners of UNESCO, with access to the UNESCO logo and various international and intergovernmental bodies and networks, allowing them to leverage UNESCO’s international reach and convening powers.
- Partnership Strategy: These centres are an integral part of UNESCO’s Comprehensive Partnership Strategy, which aims to promote international cooperation and knowledge sharing.
