Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Dr Vishnu Shridhar Wakankar Archaeological Research Institute in the city has been made the incubation centre for startups related to archaeology, archives and museums. It will be the first centre in Madhya Pradesh to incubate ideas for the conservation of archaeological heritage.
Joint Director, state archaeology and director of Wakankar Institute, Manisha Sharma, told Free Press that the ideas would be examined and filtered by a panel of experts including IITians. The institute will facilitate further work on ideas found relevant, feasible and useful, she said.
The Wakankar Institute, located on the premises of State Museum on Shymala Hills, is also handling the digitisation of old manuscripts, books and documents in the state including those in possession of various state government departments other government bodies and private collector, temples and mutts under Gyan Bharatam Mission.
“We have already uploaded around two lakh documents,” Sharma said. The Directorate of Archaeology, Archives and Museums is the nodal agency for Gyan Bharatam Mission of Government of India. The state government has already identified around 3.73 lakh old manuscripts, books and documents in possession of various departments for digitisation to preserve them for future generations.
District collectors are heading survey teams to identify government documents that need to be preserved. They will be digitised in the first phase.
