Centre organises national workshop on Jain Manuscriptology at Gujarat University

In a landmark initiative highlighting India’s civilisational depth and inclusive cultural policy, Ministry of Minority Affairs organised a National Workshop on the significance of Jain Manuscriptology at Gujarat University.

Held under the aegis of varsity’s Department for Validation of Indic Knowledge through Advanced Research and funded by the Pradhan Mantri Jan Vikas Karyakram (PMJVK), the workshop brought together distinguished scholars, Jain monks, academicians, and officials to explore and celebrate the profound intellectual and spiritual legacy embedded in Jain manuscripts.

This is part of a larger vision under the PMJVK to uplift and empower all six notified minority communities — Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, Buddhists, Parsis, and Jains — by supporting academic research and heritage conservation. A similar initiative is already underway in collaboration with Mumbai University to preserve the Avesta and Pahlavi languages of the Parsi Zoroastrian tradition, further underscoring the government’s inclusive and pan-Indian approach.

Chandra Shekhar Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Minority Affairs, who was the chief guest of the event, shared the government’s unwavering commitment to the preservation, revival, and dissemination of traditional knowledge systems and minority heritage languages.

‘Honours our past’

“The Government of India is proud to support initiatives that bring to light the vast and diverse intellectual traditions of our minority communities. Preserving these traditions not only honours our past but also strengthens the foundation for a culturally enriched future,” said Deputy Secretary of the ministry, Sravan Kumar.

The officials said that the workshop serves as a testament to the government’s strategic push to integrate ancient wisdom into contemporary educational and cultural frameworks, ensuring that traditional knowledge systems are not only conserved but also made accessible and relevant for future generations.

The Ministry in a communique stated that institutions like Gujarat University are playing a vital role in collaborating are creating new academic pathways that bridge tradition and modernity, fostering pride, preservation, and progress among India’s diverse communities.