Minister Praises Efforts to Digitize 250,000 Historical Books

According to the Asiatic Society’s latest figures, more than half of its 250,000 volumes and archival papers have been digitized in the past two and a half months. The effort, which began under former Minister Sudhir Mungantiwar with a five‑crore allocation, gained renewed momentum after Home Minister Amit Shah’s visit.

President Vinay Sahasrabuddhe reported that the society now holds a digital archive covering over 125,000 texts, making them accessible for researchers while protecting the fragile originals. He also mentioned that the Maharashtra Chief Minister assured additional financial support to sustain and expand the digitization drive.

Shah’s appreciation for the project was clear; he called the initiative a “model for preserving our nation’s intellectual wealth” and pledged continued cooperation from the Ministry of Home Affairs. The digitization program is expected to accelerate, creating a modern repository of India’s ancient knowledge for scholars worldwide.