SAMBA, APRIL 06: A workshop under the Gyan Bharatam initiative of the Ministry of Culture was organized under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Ayushi Sudan, here today at Samba.
The workshop witnessed the participation of senior district officials including Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC), Additional Commissioner Revenue (ACR), Sub-Divisional Magistrates (SDMs), Assistant Commissioner Panchayat (ACP), Block Development Officers (BDOs), Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Municipal Council Samba and Executive Officers (EOs) from Municipal Committees of Bari Brahmana and Ramgarh, along with designated surveyors.
The workshop featured an insightful lecture by Dr. Jahangir Iqbal from the Department of Persian, University of Kashmir. He elaborated on the objectives and significance of the Gyan Bharatam initiative. He highlighted that the initiative aims to identify, document and preserve the nation’s rich manuscript heritage, thereby safeguarding its cultural legacy for future generations. He also provided a comprehensive understanding of manuscripts, underlining their immense historical, cultural and intellectual value and emphasized the urgent need for their conservation.
During the session, surveyors were thoroughly sensitized to their role and responsibilities. In rural areas, surveyors include Panchayat Secretaries, Panchayat Accounts Assistants and Gram Rozgar Sevaks (GRSs), while in urban areas the task has been assigned to municipal officials. They were also apprised of the mobile application interface to be used for conducting the survey, including practical guidance on data collection, uploading procedures and maintaining accuracy during fieldwork.
The Deputy Commissioner emphasized the importance of conducting the survey in a comprehensive, systematic and time-bound manner. She stressed the need for extensive door-to-door outreach to ensure maximum coverage and highlighted the importance of creating awareness at the grassroots level about the value of manuscripts as repositories of traditional knowledge and cultural heritage.
The workshop concluded with a call for coordinated and dedicated efforts from all stakeholders to ensure the successful implementation of the survey and to contribute meaningfully towards preserving the region’s invaluable manuscript heritage.