 NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF INDIA

The main duties of the National Archives of India are accession, repair and preservation of records, research and technical service, training and publication. Good progress was made during the year in all these sectors.

2. Accession.-

Some of the gaps in the existing series of indexed to records were filled in by fresh accessions from several Ministries. Considerable progress was made in collecting information on Reforms Papers of the former Governor-General's Secretariat and arranging for their transfer to the Department's custody.

Quit a large number of archives and historical documents which were in private custody were acquired by the Department either by purchase or gift. New lease of life was afforded to these documents by scientific treatment and preservation. The most important of such acquisitions during the year was the Inayat Jang Collection comprising Imperial Mughal archives relating of the administration of the Deccan during the 17the and early 18th centuries. among other materials of note acquired, mention may be made of a letter-book embodying the correspondence of the celebrated poet, Mirza Ghalib and a collection of documents belonging to the private archives of Dr.N. B. Khare most of which had already been gifted by him to the Department.

One hundred and fifty-six rolls of micro-copies of Dutch East India Company records of the period 1759-94 and forty-six rolls of Lord Dufferin papers for the period 1884-88 of his Viceroyalty in India were obtained from the foreign repositories during the year. Arrangements were also made for obtaining microfilms of the Dutch East India Company records of the period 1794-96 and for the acquisition of microfilm/ transcripts of the Mayo Papers, the Minto Papers and Fowler Papers from the Cambridge University Library, National Library of Scotland and the Commonwealth Relations Office Library, London.

Four hundred and eighty-five books including a few published in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries and thirty-eight volumes mostly relating to Indian and Asian history received under the Wheat Loan Programme were added to the Department library.

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3. Checking and Arrangement of Records, Compilation of Lists.

Good progress was maintained in checking and arrangement of new accessions and of records already in the Department.

4. Research and Reference Service.-

One hundred and forty research scholars, including foreign scholars from the U.K., the U.S.A., and the U.S.S.R., Germany, Australia and Nepal availed themselves of the facilities afforded for consulting original records and were provided with the requisite guidance and research aids. About 12,000 pages of typed scripts from records, 5,049 photostatic copies and 29,785 negative exposures, and 120 metres of positive prints of documents were released for their use. A large number of enquiries covering a wide variety of historical topics and involving protracted research among records were attended to by the Department during the year.

5. Preservation and Photo-Duplication.--

The Department prepared 2,30,000 negative prints of pre-1859 records covering about twice the number of manuscripts pages, 10,000 photostat copies, 6,200 enlarged prints and 4,250 metres of positive prints. About 13,650 metres of microfilm were processed and 450 reels were checked. The Department also undertook a programme of micro-filming the "Report on Native Newspapers", an official series embodying extracts from old newspapers in Indian languages, most of which are now defunct. About 1,55,000 sheets of documents were laminated and 2,600 volumes bound. 1,032 maps were repaired and mounted.

6. Research Laboratory.-

Experiments were continued to find suitable indigenous substitutes for repair materials that are now being imported, e.g. hand-made paper, tissue paper, binding cloth, etc. and technical advice was given to interested institutions. The laboratory also conducted tests on insecticides and fumigants commonly in use in official record-rooms, a report on which is under preparation.

7. Technical Service.-

Free service in the matter of renovation, binding and photo-duplication was rendered to a number of institutions and individuals, e.g., Gandhi Smarak Nidhi, Raza Library, Rampur, who, in response to an appeal from Government allowed the Department to keep photo copies of original documents in their possession. The mobile microfilm unit including staff and equipment was sent to Kathmandu to assist the Nepal National Archives in microfilming 300 rare manuscripts of the Bir Library under a project of the Indian Aid Mission, Nepal. The mobile micro-filming unit of the Department was also placed at the disposal of the Director of Archives, Rajasthan, to help in the photo-duplication of a large collection of brittle documents.

8. Advisory Works.-

Technical advice on repair and preservation of records was tendered to 45 institutions including some universities and offices of the Government of India.

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9. Training and Educational Activities.-

Nine trainees including two nominees of the State Governments, successfully completed the one-year diploma course in Archives-keeping, and a fresh batch of seven trainees, including two nominees of the Government of Malaya and three nominees of the State Governments were admitted to the course which commenced on the 1st September, 1961. Special arrangements were also made for a short course of training to nominees of several official and non-official agencies.

As a part of the educational programme of the Department, the Director of Archives delivered a course of lectures on 'Archives Science' at the National Academy of Administration, Mussoorie, and a talk on 'Problems in Historical Research' to the Hindu College Historical Society, Delhi. Lectures on 'Archives Administration and Archives Preservation' were also given to the trainees at the Secretariat Training School, New Delhi.

10. Exhibitions.-

3 A documentary exhibition on the life and work of the great Indian mathematician S. Ramanujam was organised which proved very popular. The Department also participated in a historical exhibition held by the Panjab University at Chandigarh in connection with the 36th Session of the Indian Historical Records Commission; the Tagore Centenary Exhibitions at Rabindra Bhavan, New Delhi and in Calcutta,; and the Urdu Newspapers and Books Exhibitions arranged by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi.

11. Publications.-

A number of publications were issued during the year. The more important ones to be mentioned are: Elphinstone Correspondence, 1804-08 (published in collaboration with the University of Nagpur), Diplomatic of Sanskrit Copper Plate Grants; Proceedings of Indian Historical Records Commission, Volume XXXVI; Annual Report of the National Archives of India for 1959 and Fort William-India House Correspondence. The Indian Archives, Volume XII is expected from the press and Volume XIII of the Journal has been prepared for the press. The Annual Report for 1960 and Selections of Educational Records, Volume 11, were also got ready for publication. Progress was also made in the preparation of the text of the Ochterlony Papers which is to be edited by Prof. N. K. Sinha of Calcutta University and in the printing of The Report of the Committee on Archival Legislation.

Steps were taken to bring out a second edition of "Archives and Records; What are They" on popular demand.

12. Collaboration with Universities and Other Institutions.-

The Department actively assisted the Indian Council for Cultural Relation in organising the first Asian History Congress, the Archaeological Survey of India in the celebrations of their centenary and the University of Delhi in organising the 24th Session of the Indian History Congress. It collaborated

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with the National Library, Calcutta, in formulating a plan for the microfilming of old files of Indian newspapers which were found to be scattered among a plethora of private collections. The Department was also closely associated with some of the activities of the Indian Standards Institution and the International Centre for the Study and Preservation of Cultural Property.

13. Advisory Bodies and Committees.-

The Indian Historical Records Commission held its 36th Session at Chandigarh on 25-26th February, 1961, under the presidentship of the Union Minister for Education which was attended by a large gathering of scholars, historians, archivists and antiquarians from all over the country. The Commission discussed a number of problems vitally connected with the administration, organisation and preservation of archives. The Research and Publication Committee of the Commission also met at its 31st meeting at Chandigarh on 26th February, 1961, under the chairmanship of the Educational Adviser to the Government of India and reviewed the archival activities in the country during the year.

The Advisory Committee on National Register of Records held its third meeting at New Delhi in August, 1961. The Historical Documents Purchase Committee held two meetings during the year to examine and evaluate private archives and historical documents offered for purchase by individuals in India and abroad and made recommendations for the purchase of several of them,

The Committee on Archival Legislation set up in August, 1959, submitted its report to the Government of India in December, 1960. It has recommended, inter alia, legislation for the control and administration of archives at the Centre and in the States. The Report has been circulated to State Governments, Central Ministries and other interested bodies, and their views have been invited on the recommendations of the Committee, Printed copies of the Report are expected to be available to the public shortly.

14. Accommodation.-

The construction of an Annexe to the National Archives of India to solve the problems of space shortage for retired records has been accepted for inclusion in the Third Plan. An expenditure of Rs. 28.77 lakh has been sanctioned for the first phase of the work covering the stack wing of the proposed Annexe. The air- conditioning programme of the Department has had to be deferred owing to shortage of foreign exchange.

15. Regional Office, Bhopal.-

The normal work of checking, arranging and listing of records acquired from the former Government of Bhopal was continued and the usual measures for their preservation and maintenance taken. Official and non-official research scholars were helped in

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consulting records housed in the office. The exhibition of select documents of historical importance at the premises of the office continued to be popular.

16. Programme for 1962-63.-

The Department will place greater emphasis on checking, listing and arrangement of the records and books already in its custody, and on the compilation of information on archival holdings of different Central agencies. Such recommendations of the Committee on Archival Legislation as may be accepted by the Government will also be taken up for implementation. The Department will also endeavour to speed up its programme of acquisition of microfilm copies of documents of Indian interest in foreign repositories and to initiate a campaign for locating important archival collections in private custody and their transfer to scientifically equipped repositories.

The Index to Secret Department records 1781-83 will be completed and their descriptive listing expedited. The catalogue of Avadh Seals is also expected to be completed. Volume II of the Selection of Educational Records series, one volume of Calendar of Persian Correspondence, three volumes of the Fort William-India House Correspondence series, two issues of 'Indian Archives' and one issue of the 'Annual Report' represent the publication targets for the next year. Besides, compilation of materials for Selections of Educational Records, Volume III, will be completed, and two more volumes of Fort William-India House Correspondence and one volume of Catalogue of Historical Documents (Persian) will be got ready for the Press.

During the next year, the Department further proposes to speed up the repair of documents in an advanced stage of decay, provide them with protective containers as also to microfilm them; to push forward the microfilming of Reports on Native Newspapers; to get the construction of the Annexe building started; to intensify its public relation activities and to widen the field of its collaboration with universities, research, institutions etc., to organise a fresh series of popular lectures on archival and historical topics; to publish popular literature on archives; and to organise documentary exhibitions.

The Regional Office, Bhopal, will, in addition to its normal duties, prepare indexes to the Descriptive Lists of Mutiny Papers prepared by it.

17. Budget.-

Funds to the extent of Rs. 14,08,000 (including nonPlan and Plan schemes and also National Register Scheme Grants) were placed at the disposal of the Department and its Regional Office at Bhopal and the proposed Regional Office at Hyderabad, for 1961-62, as against Rs. 13,09,000 during 1960-61. A provision of Rs. 15,28,100 has been included in the budget estimates of 1962-63.

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