India’s Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Rajatarangini are added to UNESCO’s Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register. The announcement is made by India’s Union Minister of Culture and Tourism Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who frames the move as recognition of India’s documentary, cultural and civilisational heritage.
Across coverage, the three works are presented as key examples of India’s long-running intellectual traditions, spanning historical writing, literature, philosophy and political/statecraft. NDTV and the Times of India both stress the broader significance of the recognition for historical documentation and ideas that influenced political thought and governance.
Times of India adds further context, noting that the inscriptions are part of an effort to preserve and digitise India’s manuscript heritage, and it references earlier regional-register recognitions in 2024 for other literary works. Article 1 similarly highlights the minister’s remarks and treats the development as a major milestone, including by drawing attention to the texts’ enduring relevance.
