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UNESCO inscribes Mahabharata, Rajatarangini and Arthashastra manuscripts in Asia-Pacific register
ಸುದ್ದಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಏಕೆ?
Epics, a Kashmir chronicle and Kautilya's treatise: which UNESCO register now holds them? Heritage Prelims answer inside
Manuscripts of the Mahabharata, Rajatarangini and Arthashastra were added to UNESCO's Memory of the World Asia-Pacific register.
Why it matters: asked in UPSC 2008; factual, Prelims-type; Karnataka-specific
What you need to know
2 ನಿಮಿಷ
On 5 November 2026 manuscripts of the Mahabharata, Rajatarangini and Arthashastra were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register.
The Mahabharata is the epic of the Kuru dynasty, Kalhana's Rajatarangini is a chronicle of the kings of Kashmir, and the Arthashastra is the classical treatise on statecraft attributed to Kautilya.
The register is a regional counterpart of the international Memory of the World Register that protects documentary heritage.
ಮೂಲಗಳು: Topper IAS editorial (PIB / The Hindu / Indian Express)
ಮುಖ್ಯ ಅಂಶಗಳು
Remember these
- On 5 November 2026 manuscripts of the Mahabharata, Rajatarangini and Arthashastra were inscribed on the UNESCO Memory of the World Asia-Pacific Regional Register
- The Mahabharata is the epic of the Kuru dynasty
- Rajatarangini, by Kalhana, is a chronicle of the kings of Kashmir
- The Arthashastra is the classical treatise on statecraft attributed to Kautilya
- The Asia-Pacific register is the regional counterpart of the international Memory of the World Register, which protects documentary heritage
ಪ್ರಿಲಿಮ್ಸ್ · ಮೇನ್ಸ್
How the exam will ask it
ಪ್ರಿಲಿಮ್ಸ್
- The Memory of the World programme of UNESCO protects documentary heritage such as manuscripts, and its regional registers complement the international register.
- The Rajatarangini, a chronicle of the kings of Kashmir, was written by Kalhana.
- The Arthashastra, a treatise on statecraft, is attributed to Kautilya, while the World Heritage List covers sites rather than manuscripts.
ಮೇನ್ಸ್
GS Paper 1 (Art and Culture): documentary heritage is a core part of India's cultural legacy. The issue is preserving fragile manuscripts; UNESCO's Memory of the World registers give recognition and encourage conservation and access. The way forward is digitisation, conservation and wider public access, for example through the National Mission for Manuscripts.
PYQ connection
A question UPSC has already asked on this
Recently, the manuscripts of which one of the following have been included in the UNESCO's Memory of World Register?
- Abhidhamma Pitaka
- Mahabharata
- Ramayana
- Rig-Veda
ಉತ್ತರ ನೋಡಿ
ಉತ್ತರ: D
Why this matters: today's issue is directly connected to a concept UPSC has already tested. Read the story with this question in mind.
Practise this PYQ →Quick recall
Answer before you reveal
ಮಹಾಭಾರತ, ರಾಜತರಂಗಿಣಿ ಮತ್ತು ಅರ್ಥಶಾಸ್ತ್ರ ಹಸ್ತಪ್ರತಿಗಳನ್ನು 2026ರ ನವೆಂಬರ್‌ನಲ್ಲಿ ಯುನೆಸ್ಕೋದ ಯಾವ ಪಟ್ಟಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿಸಲಾಯಿತು?
- ಮಾನವೀಯತೆಯ ಅಮೂರ್ತ ಸಾಂಸ್ಕೃತಿಕ ಪರಂಪರೆಯ ಪ್ರಾತಿನಿಧಿಕ ಪಟ್ಟಿ
- ವಿಶ್ವ ಪರಂಪರೆ ಪಟ್ಟಿ
- ಮೆಮೊರಿ ಆಫ್ ದ ವರ್ಲ್ಡ್ ಏಷ್ಯಾ-ಪೆಸಿಫಿಕ್ ಪ್ರಾದೇಶಿಕ ನೋಂದಣಿ
- ಸೃಜನಶೀಲ ನಗರಗಳ ಜಾಲ
ಉತ್ತರ ನೋಡಿ
ಉತ್ತರ: C — ಸರಿಯಾದ ಉತ್ತರ: ಮೆಮೊರಿ ಆಫ್ ದ ವರ್ಲ್ಡ್ ಏಷ್ಯಾ-ಪೆಸಿಫಿಕ್ ಪ್ರಾದೇಶಿಕ ನೋಂದಣಿ — ಹಸ್ತಪ್ರತಿಗಳನ್ನು ಮೆಮೊರಿ ಆಫ್ ದ ವರ್ಲ್ಡ್ ನೋಂದಣಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಸೇರಿಸಲಾಗುತ್ತದೆ.
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