New Delhi: The HMS Central Library, Jamia Hamdard, in collaboration with Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts (IGNCA), Ministry of Culture, Government of India, and the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Arabic Persian Research Institute (MAAPRI), Government of Rajasthan, are organising a week-long workshop on “Digitisation and Conservation of Archival Collections” from October 13 -17, 2025.
The event is being organised under the esteemed patronage of the Chancellor of Jamia Hamdard, Hammad Ahmed.
Delivering the inaugural address, Chief Guest, Vivek Aggarwal, Secretary, Ministry of Culture, Government of India, highlighted the remarkable legacy of institutions like Jamia Hamdard, founded by Hakeem Abdul Hameed. He commended the institution’s unique status as a Waqf, which provides employment-oriented education to students from over a dozen countries. Mr. Aggarwal praised the selfless dedication of such institutions, where founders and administrators have served in honorary capacities and ethos that distinguishes them from many modern, commercially driven educational setups.
He emphasised the importance of the Gyan Bharat initiative, which focuses on manuscripts and aims to foster confidence in multidisciplinary research across languages, scripts, and fields such as science, mathematics, astronomy, and the arts. Mr. Aggarwal noted that the preservation and study of ancient manuscripts – some in rare scripts such as Gilgit, Indus Valley, and Sharada – require a collaborative national effort involving the government, institutions, and scholars. He underscored that thousands of manuscripts in India, many stored privately, remain unexplored for their intellectual and artistic value. Through their digitisation, conservation, and scholarly accessibility, India can unlock vast reservoirs of knowledge and make a lasting contribution to global scholarship and cultural preservation.
Dr. Sachchidanand Joshi, Member Secretary, IGNCA, graced the occasion as the Guest of Honour. In his address, he underlined the importance of preserving India’s cultural and intellectual heritage through systematic digitisation and conservation. He remarked that the joint initiative by Jamia Hamdard and IGNCA aims to train the next generation to carry forward this crucial responsibility, in alignment with the Prime Minister’s vision of “Virasat bhi, Vikas bhi” (Heritage with Progress).
Delivering the Presidential Address, Prof. (Dr.) M. Afshar Alam, Vice-Chancellor, Jamia Hamdard, described archives as the living memory of civilization. He emphasised the dual challenge of preserving physical documents while ensuring their digital accessibility and expressed appreciation for the Ministry of Culture and IGNCA for their continued support and guidance.
Professor Alam stated that preserving and digitising manuscripts serves as a bridge between generations – connecting the past, present, and future and reaffirmed Jamia Hamdard’s commitment to establishing a dedicated centre for heritage preservation in collaboration with the Ministry of Culture, Govt. of India.
In his Welcome Address, Dr. Akhtar Parvez, University Librarian, Jamia Hamdard, informed that participants from across India including Puducherry, Tamil Nadu, Hyderabad, Goa, Mumbai, Raipur, Bhopal, Aligarh, Delhi, Sonepat, Rohtak, Punjab, and Jammu & Kashmir are attending the workshop. He shared that the week-long programme will cover a wide range of topics, from the fundamentals of digitisation, conservation, and preservation to advanced methods and hands-on training sessions.
The inaugural programme concluded with a Vote of Thanks delivered by Prof. M. A. Sikandar, Director, Centre for Distance and Online Education, and OSD (Administration), Jamia Hamdard.
