 ADMINISTRATION AND MISCELLANEOUS
 (ARCHIVES, ARCHAEOLOGY,
 ANTHROPOLOGY, LIBRARY, ETC.)

`A Secretariat'

The provision under this sub-head is made for the pay and other expenditure incurred on the staff employed in the Ministry of Edu- cation. Twenty-eight gazetted posts and 313 additional non-gazetted posts have been created so far during the current year to cope with the, growing work in the Ministry in connection with the implemen- tation of the First Five-Year Plan and other schemes. (Demand No. 16).

Reorganisation of the Ministry

With effect from August, 1955, the administrative set-up of the Ministry was reorganised to Cope with its expanding activities and to rationalise the distribution of subjects among its various Divisions, Sections and Units. It was decided to reconstitute this set-up so as to comprise the following eight main, Divisions instead of the then- existing six:-

1. Administration Division.

2. Basic and Social Education Division.

3. Cultural Division.

4. Secondary Education Division.

5. Hindi Division.

6. Scholarships Division.

7. Technical and Scientific Education Division.

8. Unesco, Publication, Information and Statistics Division.

The reconstitution took into account the increased emphasis placed by the Government on the spread of education in the country, Hindi and on cultural activities in the educational development programmes for the country and also the Government's increased responsibilities in view of the forthcoming General Conference of Unesco, to be held in India in 1956.

Education Departments Abroad

Expenditure in respect of (i) Education Department, Indian Embassy, U.S.A., (ii) Education Department, Indian High Commission, U.K., (iii) Education Section, Indian Embassy Bonn, and (iv)

Education Section, Indian Commission, Nairobi is met under this Head. (Demand No. 19).

History of Freedom Movement

The Board of Editors, that was set up in 1953 continued to compile material both from India and abroad for the History of Freedom Movement. The term of the Board expired on 31st December, 1955, when the work of collecting material was taken over by the Government and entrusted to the National Archives of India.

A sum of Rs. 75,000 has been included in the budget estimates of the National Archives of India for 1956-57 to continue the work of collection of material. (Demand No. 20.).

History of 1857 Movement

Five instalments of Rs. 5,000 each as honorarium have been paid to Dr. S. N. Sen, author of the "1857-History of Indian Struggle" who is required to complete. the manuscript and submit it to Government by 30th June, 1956. To assist Dr. Sen in his research work, three scholarships of the value of Rs. 200 each per month for a period of one year were created. The book will be published on the Centenary of the movement in 1957. (Demand No. 20.).

Revision of Gazetteers

A general conference of the representatives of State Governments and Ministries etc. was called on 2nd July, 1955, to consider the question of the revision of Imperial and District Gazetteers which were last published in 1908. Among other things, it recommended the setting up of a Committee of Specialists to prepare a framework and plan for the revision of Gazetteers. In pursuance of this recom- mendation a Committee was appointed and its first meeting was, held in November, 1955. Further action will be taken in the light of the final recommendations of this Committee. A provision of Rs. 1 lakh has been made for 1956-57 for this work. (Demand No. 16.).

NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF INDIA

An allotment of Rs. 11,69,100 was placed at the disposal of this Department for the year 1955-56. For 1956-57 a provision of Rs. 16,29,300 has been proposed.

Three-thousand six hundred and fourteen bundles, 1,023 volumes and 1,264 files of records were received from the various Ministries of the Government of India. Besides these, four bundles, 170 files and 50 registers were received from the Residencies of Central India and Punjab States and Punjab Hill States Agency. 115 authenticated

Bills from Part A, B and C States assented to by the President were received for custody. A photostat copy of Mahatma Gandhi's Exa- mination results issued by the Council of Legal Education was acquired through the High Commission of India, London. Progress was made in the arrangement and listing of records accessioned.

Some privately-owned manuscripts were acquired by purchase. Special mention may be made of some letters, documents and drawings (pen and ink and water colour drawings, 1856) from Mr. Edward Hall of Surrey, England. Some English, Hindi, Urdu and Persian papers of the period 1911-1940 were received as a gift from Lt. Col. Dr. Ahmed Baksh of Bhopal.

During the year under review 44 reels of microfilm copies of documents of Indian interest equivalent to 30,500 papers regarding the Nouvelles Acquisition Series (1664-1789) were obtained from the Bibliotheque Nationale, Paris and 52 reels equivalent to 87,900 pages relating to Dutch affairs (1700-1712) were obtained from Algemeen Rijksarchief, the Hague.

Three hundred and forty-eight Research Scholars conducted research among the records and 28,939 pages of excerpts were released for their use.

Under the National Archives of India Fellowship Scheme, six fellowships of Rs. 150 each were originally sanctioned for one year.

This has been renewed for a further period until the end of February, 1957.

Volume XVII of the Series Fort William-India House Correspondence was published and issued for sale during the year. Three more volumes of the same series, Volumes I, II and IX, that were entrusted to various presses, continued to make good progress.

One issue of the The Indian Archives Volume VIII, No. 2 (July- December 1954) was issued, and the material for Volume IX No. I (January-June 1955) will be sent to press shortly.

Volume VIII (1788-89) and Volume IX (1790-91) of the Calendar of Persian Correspondence have been released for the use of the Scholars. Volume X (1792-93) of the series has been sent to press. Compilation of Volume XI (1794-95) and XII (1796-97) has made progress.

Preparation of the Hand Lists of the Original Persian Letters received, for the year 1807, 1808 and 1809 was completed and the list- ing of letters for the year 1810 was continued.

A number of Persian and Urdu manuscripts dealing with certain trends and events of Indian History during mediaeval and post- mediaeval times was examined and a few of them were acquired for this Department.

Research scholars were supplied with transcripts from Historical manuscripts, and assistance was also afforded in the reading of Persian documents to those who needed it.

A number of Arabic, Persian and Urdu manuscripts was received from the Ministry of Education and the Indian Council for Cultural Relations, New Delhi for safe custody.

During the period under review, about 2,000 printed maps belong- ing to the then Central India States Agency, Indore, Western and Gujrat States Agency, Rajkot and Eastern States Agency, Calcutta were received for custody in the Map Section.

Three hundred and forty-two volumes of the Survey of India Memoirs, covering the period 1761-1860 and miscellaneous (Original) maps contained in 21 folios and loose-sheets but without lists were transferred by the Survey of India, Dehra Dun, in March 1955. These are now being arranged and listed. Fifteen maps belonging to the Historical Map Series were also transferred to this Department by the Survey of India during the period under review and they have filled up certain gaps in the main series transferred earlier in 1954.

About 1,000 maps contained in 20 folios of the Survey of India Historical Map Series Were renovated, 12 Memoirs were repaired and bound and ten printed maps were repaired and mounted.

Training In Archives

Three candidates were trained in a One-Year Diploma Course of Training in Archives Science and 22 candidates were trained in two sessions, of a three-month short course. Besides, two candidates nominated by the Afghan Council were given training for about two months. Another candidate from the Travancore-Cochin Government was given training for two weeks in handling the machinery for the preservation of records.

Exhibition.-The exhibition organised in the National Archives of India has grown very popular and during the year under review about 600 visitors paid a visit to this section.

A grant of Rs. 10,000 enabled this Department to purchase a num- ber of valuable books of Indian History, Archival Science and related topics.' The total number of books and journals acquisitioned during the year is 2401. Out of the $ 2,500 allotted to this Department under

the India Wheat Loan Education Exchange Programme, 225 books have so far been received. Thirty copies of Abbas Rizvi's Khilji Kalin Bharat (in Hindi) were purchased by the Government of India for distribution among learned institutions in India. Sixteen thousand nine hundred and sixty one pages of excerpts from printed books were released to scholars.

Preservation.-In addition to the normal repair and rehabilitation programme of this Department, repair work was undertaken for a few learned institutions. Among the rare manuscripts repaired, special mention may be made of seven Farmans of the Emperors, Akbar, Jehangir, Shahjehan and Mohamed Murad Bakash belonging to the Anandji Kalyanji Sweetambujain Trust of Ahmedabad. Some of the institutions that were helped by way of repair were Viswa Bharati, Santiniketan, the All- India Board of Handicrafts and the Asiatic Society of Bengal.

Some of Gandhiji's manuscripts have been received for preserva- tion on modern lines. The repair and rehabilitation of these manu- scripts has been taken up in right earnest.

Technical Service.-Advice for scientific preservation of records was rendered to some State Governments and various other learned institutions. A few indigenous samples of hand-made paper, wax paper and oil paper were tested and approved in the Research Laboratory of the 'Department for ascertaining their suitability for repair work.

A Workshop Section was created in the National Archives of India in September 1955, for attending to routine repairs and preventive maintenance of the costly and complicated precision machinery, and equipment and apparatus installed in the Preservation Division of this Department.

An experimental napthalene fumigation apparatus was designed and fabricated at the workshop. An oil-fired boiler, indented for and received in August 1955, is under installation. The air-conditioning of the stack area (ground floor) by the Central Public Works Depart- ment is being done.

Indian Historical Records Commission

The Government of Bihar invited the Indian Historical Records Commission to hold its 32nd Session at Patna. The 25th meeting of the Research and Publication Committee-an adjunct of the Indian Historical Records Commission, will also be held at Patna on this occasion. It has been decided to publish with the brochure papers

to be read at the 32nd Session, Handbook of Indian Archival Reposi- tories and an Author and Subject Index to all the papers so far read at the previous Sessions of the Indian Historical Records Commission. The various Regional Records Survey Committee continued to make further progress in the unearthing and salvaging of private records, under the guidance of the Indian Historical Records Commission.

Regional Record Office, Bhopal

The Regional Record Office of the National Archives of India at Bhopal has functioned since the 26th November, 1954. The entire bulk of historical manuscripts in Persian and Urdu languages, pertaining to the administration and political history of the Bhopal State since its inception up to the year 1914 has been transferred to the Regional Office of the Central Record Office, Bhopal.

Programme for 1956-57

The programme for obtaining from abroad reels of microfilm copies of documents of Indian interest will be continued as also the normal programme of acquisition of manuscripts of historical importance and compilation of reference media. The research fellowship scheme will be continued. Additional seating arrangement will be made for the growing number of Research Scholars. One-year, and three-month short term courses of training in the science of Archives Keeping will also be continued.

New equipment for binding the books and volumes of proceedings will be installed in the Binding Section of this Department during the year 1956-57, and it is intended to adopt modern binding processes with the help of these machines. To implement the programme of replacement of imported stationery items with indigenous materials, it is proposed to test some specimens of Indian leather for their suitability for binding. With the installation of a boiler, the Laminating Hydraulic Press will be put into operation and the rehabilitation programme of the Department with mechanical processes will be implemented. Workshop Tools and Apparatus which have been indented for will be received soon and all routine repairs and fabrication of small spare parts will be done within the Departmental Workshops. (Demand No. 20.).

DEPARTMENT OF ARCHAEOLOGY

During the financial year 1955-56, the total sanctioned budget grant under Demand No. 17 Archaeology, was Rs. 55,06,000. This provision included Rs. 1,00,000 for reimbursement of expenditure to

certain Part B States. The remaining provision included expenditure ion items as follows: -

                                                                  Rs.
        (1) Expenditure on Directorate                          18,02,100
        (2) Conservation of Monuments of National Importance    26,78,000
        (3) Excavation and Exploration Charges                   4,65,000
        (4) Museums                                              2,83,900
        (5) Construction of and repairs to modem buildings       1,65,900
        (6) Charges in England                                     11,000
        (7) Lump sum provision for expenditure in Part B States  1,00,000

For 1956-57, a provision of Rs. 38,20,100 under standing charges, and Rs. 28,00,000 under New Items have been proposed and Rs. 15,00,000 for the first-year under the Second Five-Year Plan has been accepted.

The activities of the Department in respect of the above grants may be summed up as follows: -

Publications

Progress in publications is as follows: -

(a) Ancient India Nos. 8, 9, 10 and 11 have been published and material for No. 12 is being made ready for the press.

(b) Guide to Mahabalipuram has been reprinted. Guides to the Agra Fort, to Sanchi and to Rajgir and Sarnath are in press. Guide to Nalanda is being made ready for the press.

(c) Memoirs No. 72, Antiquities of Chamba Part II, is in press. No. 73, Sanskrit Literature and Archaeology, "Mirrors of Indian Culture" by Shri C. Sivaramamurthi has been published and a Memoir on the Great Temple of Tanjore, its sculpture and painting by Shri T. N. Ramachandran is being made ready for the press.

(d) Volume IV in the series of Corpus Inscriptionum Indicarum, Chedi-Kalachuri Inscriptions by Prof. V. V. Mirashi has been published. Material for Vol. III dealing with Gupta Inscriptions received from the late Dr. D. R. Bhandarkar immediately before his death is. being made ready for the press and a manucript on Bharhut Inscriptions by the late German Scholar Dr. H. Luders is ready for press. Material for 'Vekataka Inscriptions' by Prof. V. V. Mirashi is being made ready for press.

(e) Epigraphia Indica Parts II, III, IV and V of Vol. XXIX have been published. Parts VI, VII of Vol. XXIX and parts, I and II of Vol. XXX are in the final stage of printing. Material for Part III of Vol. XXX is in press.

(f) Annual Report on South Indian Epigraphy: The reports for 1943-44 to 1944-45 have been published.

(g) Annual Report on Indian Epigraphy: The Report for 1947-48 is in final stage of printing. The material for 1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1951-52, 1952-53 is in press.

(h) Picture Postcards: The following sets of Picture Postcards were printed: Sarnath, Elephanta, Western Indian Caves (Karla, Bhaja, Bedsa), Kanheri, Bijapur, Fatehpur Sikri, and Agra.

Conservation of Ancient Monuments

As usual, a large number of monuments have been or are being attended to this year. An intensive programme of repairs, including the improvement of the precincts to the tomb of Abdur Rahim Khan-i- Khana at New Delhi is framed and is being executed. Extensive work continues in the Sun Temple at Konark to implement the reCommendations of the Konark Temple Committee. A Committee of exPerts was formed to advise on the preservation of the surviving minar of the Dharars Mosque at Banaras. Steps are being taken to implement its recommendations. A skeleton staff consisting of an Assistant Archaeological Engineer, sub-overseers and foremen has been sanctioned to carry out repairs to Buddhist monuments and sites at Sarnath, Nalanda, Kasia etc. and to improve the gardens attached thereto in connection with the Buddha Jayanti. The Jama Masjid, though not protected, will be repaired by the Department. Mention may also be made of the following important monuments, where special repairs are being or are proposed to be carried out during the year under review at the estimated expenditure shown against each:

ADMINISTRATION AND MISCELLANEOUS (ARCHIVES, ARCHAEOLOGY, ANTHROPOLOGY, LIBRARY, ETC.)