PIB Summaries 31 July 2024

CONTENTS

1. National Mission for Manuscript
2. 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:

1. National Mission for Manuscripts
2. 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.