New Delhi, December 12, 2025: Jamia Hamdard (Deemed to be University) today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Gyan Bharatam, a flagship programme of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, aimed at strengthening national efforts for preservation, conservation, digitization, translation, and research on India’s manuscript heritage.
With the signing of this MoU, Jamia Hamdard has been officially designated as a Cluster Centre, entrusted with leading manuscript-related activities for its own collections as well as coordinating and supervising up to twenty (20) Cluster Partner Centres across the country.
The MoU was signed by Shri Inderjeet Singh, Director, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and Dr. Sarfaraz Ahsan, Registrar (Officiating), Jamia Hamdard, in the presence of Dr. Akhtar Parvez, University Librarian, Jamia Hamdard; Professor Anirban Dash, Project Director; and Mr. Bharat Kumar, Under Secretary, Gyan Bharatam, Ministry of Culture, Government of India.
On the occasion, Dr. Akhtar Parvez, Dr. Sarfaraz Ahsan, Professor M.A. Sikandar, Director, Centre for Distance & Online Education, Jamia Hamdard and Prof. Riaz Umar, Member, Executive Council of Jamia Hamdard formally presented the duly signed MoU to Prof. (Dr.) M. Afshar Alam, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard.
During an interaction with the senior officials of the university, Professor (Dr.) M. Afshar Alam, Hon’ble Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard, stated that “this collaboration with the Ministry of Culture is a moment of great pride for Jamia Hamdard. Our selection as a Cluster Centre reflects the trust reposed in our institutional capabilities. We remain fully committed to preserving, digitizing and promoting India’s manuscript heritage, while creating world-class scholarly resources that meaningfully connect our civilizational past with contemporary research needs.” Prof. Alam conveyed his profound appreciation to Shri Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, for his gracious support and for the prompt action taken in designating Jamia Hamdard as a Cluster Centre for manuscript heritage.
Dr. Akhtar Parvez underlined that, as a Cluster Centre under Gyan Bharatam, Jamia Hamdard will undertake the systematic survey and cataloguing of manuscripts; preventive and curative conservation; capacity-building workshops; digitization of manuscripts and their integration with the National Digital Repository; transliteration, translation, and preparation of critical editions; as well as research, publications, exhibitions, and extensive outreach activities.
This partnership marks a transformative step for Jamia Hamdard, positioning the University at the forefront of manuscript studies, digital humanities, and cultural preservation. The establishment of the Cluster Centre will not only expand research and training opportunities for scholars and students but will also contribute to national and international access to rare and invaluable knowledge traditions. Jamia Hamdard looks forward to working closely with Gyan Bharatam to advance the shared vision of safeguarding India’s manuscript heritage for future generations.