Nagaland has initiated a state-wide effort to identify and document manuscripts and historically significant records, many of which remain scattered across churches, village institutions and private collections.
The initiative, led by the Department of Art & Culture under the Gyan Bharatam Mission of the Ministry of Culture, Government of India, seeks to create a comprehensive database of documentary heritage and traditional knowledge systems across the country.
According to a DIPR report, the exercise comes amid concerns that a large number of valuable records remain undocumented and at risk of being lost. In Nagaland, where much of the historical record exists outside formal archives, materials are often preserved in church archives, missionary records, early translations, customary records and family-held collections.
The ongoing survey will focus on identifying such materials and documenting their details through a national digital platform.
The Department has appealed to institutions, organisations and individuals to come forward with information on manuscripts or old records in their possession, stating that public participation will be key to the success of the exercise.
It clarified that the survey is limited to documentation and will not involve removal or transfer of materials from their custodians.
The initiative is expected to play a key role in preserving Nagaland’s documentary heritage by bringing previously unrecorded materials into a structured archival framework.