India, France enter MoU on digitization of old manuscripts

India and France today entered a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on digital preservation and conservation of rare written documents, archives and manuscripts.
The two countries signed the MoU to conserve, develop and publicize written heritage at the National Library in Kolkata, a statement here said.
This will entail development of digital co-operation, sharing of technical and other expertise, competency and skill-building and cultural co-operation between the two countries.
The MoU will assist a programme on digitisation of old manuscripts and documents, begun in France seven years ago, as it will make it possible for gaining their experience and high -quality expertise in this field, it added.

Sreya Guha, Joint Secretary (Library) in the Ministry of Culture and Bruno Racine, President of the National Library of France signed the MoU on behalf of their respective countries.
Guha said that the Ministry of Culture is emphasizing on the project of building a National Virtual Library in India which will store and share numerous manuscripts, archives, artworks etc and this co-operation will go a long way in efficient implementation of this project, the statement further added.

The National Virtual Library will link and share all knowledge resources lying within the possession of various government institutes and other organizations of both the countries.

France is also keen to avail India's assistance in sorting out, deciphering and gaining a better insight into their collection of the several thousands of Indian documents, especially in Sanskrit and Tamil languages, that are archived in their possession, it said.
Racine mentioned a number of correspondences between Rabindranath Tagore and French scholar Sylvan Levin with them. All these can be made a part of the digital collection, he said. Racine disclosed that a number of joint Indo-French symposia and conferences in connection with this are lined up.
The Director General of National Library, Arun Kumar Chakraborty and the new Consul-General of France in Kolkata, who were also present on the occasion, said that capacity and skill building programmes under the agreement will give a boost to Make In India and Skill India programmes, the statement said.