What is a .NET Manifest?

.NET Assembly metadata is stored in Manifest.

The Manifest contains all the metadata needed to do the following things :

Version of assembly
Security identity
Scope of the assembly
Resolve references to resources and classes.
The assembly manifest can be stored in either a PE file (an .exe or .dll) with

Microsoft intermediate language (MSIL) code or in a stand-alone PE file that
contains only assembly manifest information.