Digital Repository for PVTG Oral Literature: Safeguarding India’s Intangible Heritage

The digital repository serves as a critical intervention in linguistic and cultural conservation. By utilizing modern recording and storage technologies, the project ensures that the intangible heritage of these groups is documented for posterity. This goes beyond mere academic interest; the oral literature of PVTGs often contains invaluable traditional ecological knowledge (TEK), including insights into local biodiversity, medicinal plants, and sustainable living practices that are relevant to global climate change discourse. From a policy perspective, this project complements the Pradhan Mantri Janjati Adivasi Nyaya Maha Abhiyan (PM-JANMAN), which aims to provide essential services to PVTG households. While PM-JANMAN focuses on physical infrastructure and socio-economic indicators, the digital archive addresses the 'cultural' dimension of development, ensuring that progress does not come at the cost of identity. This initiative aligns with the constitutional mandate under Article 29, which grants citizens the right to conserve their distinct language, script, or culture. UPSC Relevance: This topic is highly relevant for GS Paper I (Indian Culture and Society) and GS Paper II (Welfare Schemes for Vulnerable Sections). It can be used as a case study for the role of digital technology in preserving intangible heritage and as an example of government interventions aimed at protecting the linguistic diversity of India's most marginalized communities.