Patna: The Bihar government has launched a major initiative to digitise rare and historically significant documents housed at the historic Gulzarbagh Printing Press and Archives, marking a fresh push to preserve the state’s documentary heritage. The move is part of India’s national “Gyan Bharatam” initiative, which seeks to safeguard and modernise access to knowledge resources.
Chief Secretary Pratyay Amrit and Bihar Museum Director General Anjani Kumar Singh conducted a joint inspection of the facility on Wednesday, reviewing decades-old administrative files, rare manuscripts and documents dating back to the British colonial period. Officials described the collection as a crucial record of Bihar’s administrative and cultural history.
During the inspection, the senior officials directed that the deteriorating documents be digitised using modern technology to prevent further damage and to make them accessible to researchers and the public. They also assessed the condition of the printing press premises and instructed staff to adopt scientific preservation methods to maintain paper quality and ink stability over the long term.
Speaking to officials, Amrit said Bihar’s history was “deeply documented in the silent pages stored at Gulzarbagh”, adding that the digitisation effort would ensure this knowledge is preserved for future generations. He said the Bihar Museum would provide technical and expert support to ensure the conservation work meets international standards.
