Content

1. Gyan Bharatam Initiative
2. STEPS TO CHECK GROUND LEVEL OZONE

Gyan Bharatam Initiative

Why in News?

• Written reply in Lok Sabha by Gajendra Singh Shekhawat
• Update on:
  • Progress of digitisation (3.5 lakh manuscripts)
  • Funding approval of ₹491.66 crore
  • MoUs with 31 institutions
  • Launch of Gyan Bharatam Digital Web Portal
  • Adoption of Delhi Declaration (Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra)

Relevance

GS I – Indian Culture & Heritage

• Conservation of ancient manuscripts as tangible heritage
• Transmission of:
  • Vedic knowledge
  • Ayurveda
  • Philosophy
  • Astronomy & mathematics
• Integration of tangible + intangible heritage (manuscripts + performing arts like Odissi, Sambalpuri)

What is the Gyan Bharatam Initiative?

• Flagship mission of the Ministry of Culture
• Announced in Union Budget 2025 (Para 84)
• Objective:
  • Survey
  • Document
  • Conserve
  • Digitize
  • Disseminate India’s manuscript heritage
• Target Coverage:
  • Over 1 crore manuscripts
• Core Output:
  • Creation of a National Digital Repository
  • Powered by AI and advanced digital technologies

Financial & Administrative Framework

• Approved Outlay: ₹491.66 crore
• Time Period: 2025–2031
• Approved by Standing Finance Committee (SFC)
• Pan-India implementation model

Institutional Structure & Implementation Architecture

• Total MoUs Signed: 31 institutions
  • 19 Cluster Centres
  • 12 Independent Centres
• Technology partners finalized nationwide
• Example:
  • MoU with Dr. Harisingh Gour University, Sagar (MP)

Five Core Verticals of Gyan Bharatam

1. Survey & Cataloguing
   1. Identification and metadata mapping of manuscripts
2. Conservation & Capacity Building
   1. Physical preservation + training of conservators
3. Technology & Digitization
   1. High-resolution scanning + AI tagging
4. Linguistics & Translation
   1. Multi-script deciphering and translations
5. Research, Publication & Outreach
   1. Academic integration and public dissemination

Progress Achieved 

• Manuscripts digitized so far: ~3.5 lakh
• National Digital Web Portal launched by the Prime Minister
• Technology deployment underway across all centres

Delhi Declaration (Gyan Bharatam Sankalp Patra )

• Recognizes manuscripts as:
  • “Living memory of Indian civilization”
• Key Commitments:
  • Large-scale digital public access
  • Modern conservation practices
  • Revival of traditional knowledge systems
• People-centric approach:
  • Converts heritage preservation into a Jan Andolan
• Global ambition:
  • Positions India as a global hub for manuscript-based learning

Cultural Ecosystem Linkages (Odisha Example)

• Sangeet Natak Akademi
  • Promotes Odissi Dance, Odissi Music, Sambalpuri Dance
  • Confers:
    • Sangeet Natak Akademi Award
    • Ustad Bismillah Khan Yuva Puraskar
• Eastern Zonal Cultural Centre (EZCC), Kolkata
  • Promotes folk traditions of eastern India
  • Regular showcasing of Sambalpuri Dance

This highlights integration of tangible (manuscripts) and intangible (performing arts) heritage under MoC’s broader cultural strategy.

Significance of Gyan Bharatam

Civilizational & Knowledge Impact

• Preserves:
  • Vedas, Smritis, medical texts (Ayurveda), astronomy, mathematics, philosophy
• Counters:
  • Knowledge erosion due to decay, neglect, and private hoarding

Digital India & AI Synergy

• AI-based:
  • Script recognition
  • Translation
  • Metadata tagging
• Aligns with:
  • Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) vision

Soft Power & Global Scholarship

• Strengthens:
  • India’s civilizational diplomacy
  • Global Indology and Indic studies ecosystem

Employment & Skill Building

• Creates demand for:
  • Archivists
  • Linguists
  • Conservators
  • Digital curators

Challenges & Limitations

• Fragmented private ownership of manuscripts
• Multilingual script complexity (Sharada, Grantha, Bhojpuri, Modi, etc.)
• Shortage of trained conservators
• Risk of digitisation without contextual interpretation
• Cybersecurity of heritage data

Way Forward

• Standardized national manuscript metadata framework
• AI + Human expert hybrid translation models
• Stronger:
  • Copyright safeguards
  • Community participation
• Integration with:
  • National Education Policy (NEP 2020)
  • Indian Knowledge Systems (IKS) mission

Prelims Facts

• Nodal Ministry: Ministry of Culture
• Launch Year: 2025
• Budget: ₹491.66 crore
• Target: 1+ crore manuscripts
• Digitised so far: ~3.5 lakh
• Centres: 31 (19 Cluster + 12 Independent)
• Portal: Gyan Bharatam Digital Web Portal
• Vision Document: Delhi Declaration (Sankalp Patra)

STEPS TO CHECK GROUND LEVEL OZONE

Why in News?

• Written reply in Lok Sabha by Kirti Vardhan Singh
• Issue addressed:
  • Control of Ground-Level Ozone (O₃) pollution
  • Compliance with National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS)
• Data source:
  • Real-time air quality monitoring from Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) Portal

Relevance

GS I – Human Geography & Environment

• Impact of:
  • Urbanisation
  • Heat waves
  • Industrial clusters
• Link between:
  • Climate change and ozone intensification
• Crop damage and public health vulnerability

GS III – Environment, Technology & Internal Policy

• Emission control through:
  • BS VI norms
  • Thermal power plant NOx standards
  • Vapour Recovery Systems (VRS)
• Electric mobility push:
  • PM E-DRIVE
  • PM e-Bus Sewa
• Waste management as air pollution control
• VOC regulation in:
  • Paint, pharma, fertilizer industries

What is Ground-Level Ozone?

• Type: Secondary air pollutant
• Not emitted directly
• Formed by photochemical reaction between:
  • NOx (Nitrogen Oxides)
  • VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)
  • In the presence of sunlight

Health & Environmental Impact

• Triggers:
  • Asthma, bronchitis, lung inflammation
• Damages:
  • Crops, forests, and materials
• Unlike stratospheric ozone:
  • Ground-level ozone is harmful

Sources of Ozone Precursors

(A) NOx Sources

• Coal, petrol, diesel combustion
• Power plants
• Motor vehicles
• Industrial furnaces & boilers

(B) VOC Sources

• Fuel evaporation
• Solvents, paints
• Oil & gas production
• Biomass and wood burning

Regulatory Framework

• NAAQS covers 12 pollutants including O₃
• Monitoring through:
  • CPCB’s Central Control Room Portal
• Ozone precursor control under:
  • Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change

Key Government Measures to Control Ground-Level Ozone

Vehicle Emission Control – BS VI Norms (Since April 2020)

•  
• Transition from BS-IV to BS-VI is one of the most decisive ozone-control interventions

Electric Mobility Push

• PM Electric Drive Revolution (PM E-DRIVE)
• PM e-Bus Sewa
• Impact:
  • Zero tailpipe NOx & VOC emissions
  • Direct reduction in urban ozone formation

National Clean Air Programme (NCAP) – 2019

• Target: 130 non-attainment & million-plus cities
• Coverage:
  • 24 States/UTs
• Each city has:
  • City-Specific Clean Air Action Plan
• Sources targeted:
  • Road dust
  • Vehicle emissions
  • Waste burning
  • Construction & demolition
  • Industrial pollution

Industrial Emission Standards for NOx & VOCs

Revised/introduced for:

• Man-made fibre
• Fertiliser industry
• Pharmaceuticals
• Paints & coatings

Special focus on:

• Coal/lignite-based thermal power plants
• Cement plants
• Industrial boilers & furnaces
• Standalone clinker grinding units

Vapour Recovery System (VRS) at Petrol Pumps

• 100% coverage in Delhi-NCR
• Other cities:
  • 100 KL/month sales → million-plus cities
     
  • 300 KL/month sales → cities above 1 lakh population
     
• Prevents:
  • Fuel evaporation = VOC reduction

Transport & Urban Measures

• Promotion of:
  • Public transport
  • Road infrastructure
• Strengthening of:
  • Pollution Under Control (PUC) certification regime

Waste & Biomass Burning Control

• Complete ban on:
  • Biomass burning
  • Garbage burning
• Enforcement of:
  • Solid waste rules
  • Bio-medical waste rules
  • Hazardous waste management rules

Ozone-Depleting Substances (ODS) Control (Global Link)

• ODS Rules, 2000 notified by MoEF&CC
• Controls:
  • Use
  • Import
  • Export of ODS
• Aligns India with:
  • Montreal Protocol obligations

Though ODS affects stratospheric ozone, it strengthens India’s overall ozone governance framework.

Why Ground-Level Ozone is a Rising Policy Challenge ?

• Climate change increases:
  • Heat waves → faster ozone formation
• Urbanization:
  • Vehicle density → NOx surge
• Industrial VOC overload in:
  • Paint, pharma, chemical clusters
• Poor compliance in:
  • Smaller non-attainment cities

Effectiveness Assessment (Critical Analysis)

Strengths

• BS VI norms → Structural emission shift
• NCAP → National coordination for cities
• VRS → Direct VOC leakage control
• Power plant NOx standards → Base-load emission control

Gaps

• Poor VOC emission inventory at city level
• Limited real-time ozone forecasting
• Weak enforcement in Tier-2 & Tier-3 cities
• Inadequate public awareness of ozone as a pollutant

Way Forward

• City-level:
  • Ozone Action Plans
• Expand:
  • Continuous O₃ monitoring stations
• Strengthen:
  • VOC-specific compliance audits
• Integrate:
  • Urban heat mitigation with ozone control
• Promote:
  • Low-VOC industrial materials

Prelims Facts

• Ground-level ozone → Secondary pollutant
• Precursors → NOx + VOC + Sunlight
• BS VI rollout → April 2020
• NOx cut:
  • Heavy vehicles → ~87%
• NCAP launch → 2019
• NCAP cities → 130
• VRS → Petrol vapor VOC control
• ODS Rules → 2000