Select Activities of National Archives of India

for the Month of March 2012

 

 

1.      Special Projects addressing the Critical Areas of National Archives of India:

A.     Appraisal and Transfer of Non-Current Records of Ministries and Departments:   18 Archival Assistants have been deployed to the following Ministries/ Departments for appraisal and transfer of Public Records to National Archives of India: Rehabilitation Division  and Freedom Fighters Division of Ministry of Home Affairs; Ministry of Labour & Employment (DGE&T); Central Reserve Police Force, New Delhi. The team appraised 14,895 files from the non-current records of the aforesaid Ministries/Departments. Under this project a total number of 26,447 files were transferred from various Ministries/Departments to National Archives of India for permanent retention. Transfer list of 2,724 files were entered on Archival Information Management System (AIMS) for online referencing. 

 

B.      Processing and Accessioning of Records: 11 Archival Assistants and 6 Menders appointed for the Project have physically checked 13,899 files belonging to eight Ministries/ Departments. Besides, they have arranged 7,652 files of nine Ministries/ Departments, amalgamated 96 files from M/o Commerce and Industry and Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and wrote nomenclatures of four Ministries/ Departments on 3957 files and 90 bundles. Docketing and stitching work for 3,252 files of M/o Home Affairs, Rehabilitation Division, Foreign Department, M/o Industry, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and Archaeological Survey of India was carried out by two menders. Prepared check list/ subject list of 100 files of M/o Home Affairs, Rehabilitation Division, Punjab/Lyallpur, P/LL-3 to P/LL-13. The department has received total number 26,447 files from Ministry of Home Affairs.

 

C.      Preparation of Reference Media of Public Records:  11 Archival Assistants are engaged for this project. A total of 16,648 Orders pertaining to General Order by Commander in Chief, Military Department (1863-1881) were subject listed online.  

 

D.     Conservation and Preservation of Public Records: 20 Preservation Assistants and two Conservation Attendants continued the work. They have repaired and laminated 18,529 sheets stitched and bound 74 volumes of varying sizes. Special Chemical treatment was provided to 200 sheets.

 

E.      Repair and Binding of Rare and Important Books and Publications: 18 Preservation Assistants and two Helpers continued the work. They have repaired and laminated 19,896 sheets and stitched and bound 149 volumes.

F.       Security Microfilming, Positive Making and Digitization of Public Records:  

 

                                                  i.      Under the project of preparation of negative and positive microfilms of approx. 63 lakh pages available in the National Archives of India, New Delhi, three companies engaged in the task have prepared negative microfilms of 80 Rolls (51,550 Exposures) pertaining to Foreign & Political Department, Branch- a. External-B, b. Account, c. External-A ; 72 Rolls (46,080 Exposures) pertaining to Department of Education & Health, Branch-    Agriculture a proceeding,  Ministry of Education, branch- G1,G2,G3 & H1, H2 , H3 and 100 Rolls (63,036 exposures) for PWD Series, Branch-  Establishment; Foreign Dept., branch- secret original Proceeding, Military Department, branch- Proceedings, Home Department, branch- Public Proceedings , Military Department, branch- Proceedings.

                                                ii.      Under the project of preparation of positive microfilms of approx. 8,500 negative microfilms available in National Archives of India, New Delhi and 4,500 microfilms available in Regional Office, Bhopal, the two companies engaged in the task have prepared positive microfilms of 300 rolls of negative microfilms available in NAI, New Delhi.

                                              iii.      Under the project of preparation of Digital images of 5 lakh pages and converting the same into analogue images in microfilm using Archive Writer, the company engaged for this purpose has completed the project.

2.      Scheme of Financial Grants:

 

(A) Scheme of Financial Assistance for Preservation of Manuscripts/ Rare books to Registered Voluntary Organizations/ Individuals.

 

1.      With the concurrence of IFD, Ministry of Culture, sanction letter were issued to 75 cases as recommended by Grants Committee in its meeting held on 2 December 2012.

 

2.      Demand Draft of Rs. 2,64,375/- were released to 5 Registered Voluntary Organizations/Individuals.

 

(B)  Scheme of Financial Assistance to State/ Union Territory Archival Repositories, Government Libraries and Museums for Preservations of Public Records/Rare Books etc.

                                                  i.       As per concurrence of IFD, Ministry of Culture, sanction letters for the grants provided under the scheme for the financial year 2011-12 were issued to 10 Government institutions as per the recommendation of the Grants Committees meeting held on 1 December 2011 and 19 January 2012, for the amount of Rs 1, 35, 91,786/-.

 

                                                ii.       Inter Government adjustment advice issued by PAO, Ministry of Culture in this respect was also forwarded to these 10 institutions for taking necessary action at their end.

 

3. Accession/ Acquisition

Public Records: 8,936 files of M/o Home Affairs, Rehabilitation Division, Punjab/Shekhupura, P/Sk-1 to P/Sk-3, Punjab/Baluchistan, BT/BN-1 to BT/BN-15.

Books:  38 books were accessioned in the Library of the Department.

 

4. Appraisal/Retention Schedule of Records:

i.           On the spot-study for vetting of Records Retention Schedule of substantive functions of the followings Ministries/Department have been completed:-

A.    Ministry of External Affairs (Approval of the Competent authority awaited)

B.      National Archives of India.

 

ii.      On the Spot- study for vetting of Records Retention Schedules of the following Ministry/ Department are in various stages in finalization.

A.    Department of Economic Affairs.

B.     National Commission for Minorities.

C.     Airport Authority of India.

D.    Power Grid Corporation Ltd.

5. Research Facilities:

68 Indian and 18 foreign scholars were enrolled in the Research Room of the Department.  Altogether, 432 visits were made by the scholars and 4715 requisitions for records were processed. 

6. Search Cases:

41 queries for specific information from the record holdings and library including RTI cases of the Department were attended.  

 

7. Security Microfilming:

50 Rolls of Security Microfilming were undertaken from the records of Finance Department, Account (Index) (Pension & Gratuities A), {April 1863- to July 1878}, Home Department (Examination A), Establishment. & Exam ‘B’ {March 1874 to August 1910}, Ministry of States (Political Department A) {1953 to 1953), Military Department (Letter from Court for the period   1908 to 1954), Military Department Proceeding (ABC), period -    26 June 1854 to 14 July 1854, Military Department (letter to Court) Period- 1916-1924, Military Department (General Order C in C {1816 to 1822}.   

 40 maps have been scanned on A-0 Size Scanner.  

8. Publication: Reprint of 6 rare books under the project Archives in India: Historical Reprints are in press. The work relating to publication of a Catalogue of various publications of National Archives of India is in progress.    

 9. Public Outreach Programme:

 A.   An Exhibition on the theme “Calligraphy and the Holy Quran” was organized in the foyer of Annexe building of National Archives of India with the collaboration of Noor Microfilm Centre, Iran Culture House, New Delhi. This exhibition was inaugurated by Dr. Karan Singh on 23 February 2012 which was followed by his speech on the theme and it remained open till 28 March 2012.

B.  The Sarvapalli Gopal Room: Official Publications was inaugurated on 1 March 2012 by Dr. Kapila Valsyayan (Member of Parliament) in the main building of NAI.

10. Digitization of Oriental Records:

      40, 000 documents of Inayat Jung Collection have been digitized with the assistance of Noor Microfilm Centre, Iran Culture House, New Delhi. This work is in progress.

11. In House Conservation:

       I.            Conservation: 5200 sheets were repaired; 8 volumes, 12 books and 86 miscellaneous items were stitched and bound. 

    II.            Testing of Preservative Materials:

·         Two sample cloths of fine material were examined to find their suitability for archival repair purpose.

·         Restoration work of one volume of Ministry of Culture received from RI is in progress.

·         Conservation work of out of three albums containing colour drawing, photographs etc received from the library two albums have been completed.

·          Manuscripts were fumigated and given chemical treatment. Restoration of 105 sheets (total four manuscripts), which are highly brittle and fragile condition was restored during this month.  

 

12.    Acquisition of Private Papers/ Microfilm rolls:-

Nine microfilm rolls of CAB-127 series have been acquired from the National Archives, UK. It covers the period from March 1946 to May 1950 and includes the visit of Cabinet Mission to India, Interview with Jinnah, Articles of agreement for treaty between UK and India; Interview of Cabinet delegation and Viceroy with Master Tara Singh and Baldev Singh and others; Communal disturbances in Bengal and Bihar etc.

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13. Visits/ Deputation/ Committees/CEP:

       I.            Prof Mushirul Hasan, Director General of Archives visited London to attend a one day workshop on the ‘Future Archives’ held on 8 March 2012 at Kings College, London.

    II.             Prof. Mushirul Hasan, Director General of Archives visited Cambridge from 9-16 March 2012 for research on ‘Palestinian Question in relation to Indian foreign policy’.

 III.             Prof. Mushirul Hasan, Director General of Archives visited Japan from 23-27 March 2012 to take part in the opening ceremony of the Lotus Sutra Exhibition organized by the Institute of Oriental Philosophy, Japan.

 IV.              Prof. Mushirul Hasan, Director General of Archives delivered a lecture on ‘The Delhi of Ghalib’ held at Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, on 28 March 2012.

    V.             Prof. Mushirul Hasan, DGA attended a meeting of the National Selection Committee under the Scheme of ‘Tagore National Fellowship for Cultural Research on 29 March 2012 at Central Secretariat Library, Shastri Bhawan.

 VI.            Dr. Meena Gautam, Consultant, was deputed to attend the signing ceremony of the CEP between India and Colombia for the year 2012-2016 held on 12 March 2012 in the Chamber of the Secretary (Culture), Ministry of Culture.

VII.            Smt. Sunita Kalra, Consultant, was deputed to attend the meeting of ‘Restoration of Heritage Structures and Environment issues in the Manual/DSR of CPWD held on 21 March 2012 in the Chamber of D.G. CPWD, Nirman Bhavan, New Delhi.

VIII.            Ms. Jaya Ravindran, Assistant Director of Archives and Ms. Pranjana Sinha, ADA ,were deputed to ISTM to attend a one day workshop on RTI held on 26 March 2012, New Delhi.

 IX.            Shri N.S. Mani, Microphotographist was deputed to attend the meeting of the Technical Committee of IGNCA, held on 2 March 2012 at its office in New Delhi.

    X.            Mr. Ali Deghali, Director, Iran Culture House, New Delhi along with his colleagues visited NAI on 6 March 2012. They held meeting with the Director General of Archives, and also with the senior officers of the department. They were also shown round the department.

 XI.            Mr. Kwa Chong Guan, Chairman of the Advisory Board of the National Archives of Singapore visited NAI and had a meeting with the DG of NAI on 28 March 2012.

XII.            Ms. Niti Sahai, Executive Assistant to Ms. Priyanka Gandhi, visited NAI on 20 March 2012. She held meeting with the officers of NAI and discussed on the matter regarding setting up of an Archives in Rajiv Gandhi Foundation.

XIII.            Mr. Marnes Ensolhand, Director, City Archives of Amsterdam, visited NAI on 30 March 2012, and was shown round the department.

XIV.            A team of 25 officers from Ministry of Home Affairs visited NAI on 23 March 2012. They were shown round the department.

XV.            Finalized CEP between India and Maldives for the years 2012-2015 was received from Ministry of Culture.

XVI.            Finalized CEP between India and Colombia for the year 2012-2016 was received from Ministry of Culture.

 

14. School of Archival Studies (SAS)

 

I.                   One Year Diploma Course in Archives and Records Management (2011-12 Sessions): Teaching of Paper-II (Public Records Management) was completed.  The trainees are writing their dissertations.

II.                31st Short Term Certificate Course in Archives Management (14 February to 30 March 2012): The course has concluded on 30 March 2012 as per schedule after the examinations.

III.             65th Short term certificate course in Reprography (2 April to 11 May 2012): 21 Applications received for the said course have been processed and 19 applicants have been selected for admission in the course. The selected applicants have been informed accordingly.

IV.             75th Short Term Certificate Course in Servicing and Repair of Records (7 May to 15 June 2012): Applications are being received.

V.                Five days workshop on Human Resource Development in Records Management, Conservation and Microfilming/ Digitization: Five days workshop on Human Resource Development in Records Management, Conservation and Microfilming/Digitization was conducted at Lucknow in association with the UP state Archives from 19 March to 23 March 2012. The training Programme was attended by 49 participants.

 

 

 

 

                                               

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