NATIONAL ARCHIVES.
Funds to the extent of Rs. 14,93,000 (including Plan) were placed at the disposal of the National Archives and its Regional Office at Bhopal for the year 1959-60 as against Rs. 14,86,600 for 1958-59. A provision of Rs. 14,83,900 has been proposed for inclusion in the budget estimates for the year 1960-61.
As a result of careful scrutiny in regard to proposals for staff and purchase orders, considerable economy was effected during the year. Recruitment rules for various ministerial and non-ministerial non-gazetted Class III and IV posts in the Department were framed and issued.
Accession The accession of the non-current records of the Government of India was greatly hampered on account of acute shortage of space. Accession of such records as were required to fill in the gaps in the series already transferred had, however, to be made. Thus 4,996 files and 10 bound volumes were received in addition to 109 authenticated copies of State Bills.
Side by side with accession of non-current records of the Government of India, the Department had a project of acquiring documents and microfilm-reels of documents of Indian interest from India and abroad. Accordingly the Department purchased 65 documents from the U.K. and two old maps from Norway, and 11 manuscripts and 155 documents from private collections in India. It acquired 310 feels of microfilms from the U.K., France, America and the Netherlands and received a collection of personal letters of Dr. N.B. Khare and a manuscript volume entitled "Lajpat Rai: Recollections of his life and work for an independent India while living in the United States of America and Japan 1914-17" as gifts from Dr. N.B. Khare and the New York Public Library respectively.
Checking and Arrangement of Accessions Progress was maintained in checking and arranging newly accessioned records. About 31,633 files and 9,336 volumes were examined, integrated with their proper series and arranged on shelves. Besides 76,206 Original consultations and 626 volumes of the Military and Finance Departments were amalgamated. Preparation of detailed Index to the Historical maps of the Survey of India was taken up and continued.
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Research Facilities 160 research scholars availed themselves of the facilities for consulting records and published materials available in this Department. 12, 614 pages of excerpts from the records were released for their use.
67 search cases were undertaken by this Department on behalf of Government agencies, private institutions and individuals.
With a view to co-ordinating research-work on Modern Indian History and preventing duplication of work in the various centres of the country, the Department has compiled a bulletin on research theses and dissertations which will be published shortly.
Assistance was given to several research scholars in deciphering and interpreting documents in Persian.
Fellowships Scheme Four fellowships of Rs. 200 p.m. each were given to four candidates sponsored by the Universities of Punjab, Saugar and Lucknow. The Scheme was advertised in all the leading newspapers of the country and the selection of candidates was made by a Selection Committee constituted for the purpose.
Training in Archives Science The Training Scheme was revised in accordance with the recommendation of the Estimates Committee, the number of stipends was increased from two to five and their amount from Rs. 125 p.m. to Rs. 150 p.m. each. It was also decided to grant a special monthly allowance of Rs.75 each to eight candidates sponsored by the Central or State Governments or other Government Department s located outside Delhi. The syllabus of the Scheme now includes topics on the administrative history of India.
Exhibition The Department continued to maintain a permanent exhibition of select records illustrating phases of the modern period of India. Over 553 visitors came to see th exhibits of the Department during the year. At the request of Dr. Aurelio Tanodi, Director of Historical Department, Carboda, Argentine, photo copies of 14 documents and 15 photographs showing the various activities of the Department were sent to him for display in the first Argentine Palaeographical and Archaeological Exhibition.
Library 1,800 publications were added to the Library during the year.
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Publication The publication programme of the National Archives of India received a fresh impetus during the year. The volume on Browne Correspondence was sent to the press and a major part of it has been printed. Fort William-India House Correspondence series, Volume XIII, has also been published and volumes VI, IX and XV are expected to be printed shortly.
The 1956 issue of the Indian Archives has been published and the 1957 issue is in the press. There will be a composite issue for 1958- 59.
The annual reports of the Department for 1956 and 1957 were published and material for the 1958 report was prepared. The work of compiling the 2nd volume of the index to the Foreign and political Department's records (1781-83) and the remaining volumes of "Selections from Educational Records" was continued.
Records in Persian The printing of volume X (1792-93) of the Calendar of Persian Correspondence was completed and the volume released for sale. Checking and revision of the Text of volume XI (1794-95) and calendaring of volume XII of the series were continued.
The handlisting of the Persian newspaper Miftahuz-Zafar (1897-99) and that of the Government Gazette (1840-49 also in Persian) was com- pleted. Preparation of a list of documents found among the Persian records of the Department in languages other than Persian was also taken in hand.
Oriental seals found on the Persian documents of this Department were catalogued up to the year 1800 A.D. The typescript of a brochure entitled "Indian Seals" was sent to the press.
Checking and revision of the typescript of Volume I of the descriptive list of the Mutiny Papers in the National Archives of India, Bhopal, was completed and sent to the press. The work of checking and docketing the Mutiny Papers in the custody of this Department was resumed, and 2,397 documents in Urdu and Persian were checked with the press list and docketed.
Preservation Normal lamination, deacidification, repair and rehabilitation of records were continued. The repair and microfilming of rare books and manuscripts from the Raza Library, Rampur were also continued. The repair the bulk of Gandhiji's letters belonging to the Gandhi Smarak
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Nidhi was completed. The Department continued to extend its repair and binding services to external agencies. Some of the valuable manu- scripts repaired during the year are: Manuscript volume of the "Dis- covery of India", manuscripts of essays, speeches, writings etc. of Shri Jawahar Lal Nehru, a volume of "Principles of Equity" (belonging to Mahatma Gandhi), and a manuscript volume of "Aradana Kalpalata".
To salvage and preserve important manuscripts and rare books, the Government of India have decided, subject to certain conditions, to render free repair service where the value of the document so warranted. The Government of India have also issued an appeal to owners to send Gandhiji's letters and other writings to the National Archives of India for safe preservation or free repair service. A complete set of files of "Indian Opinion" and a folio of Mangal Lal Gandhi's correspondence were repaired.
Technical Service The Department continued to give technical advice to institutions and individuals. Information on various aspects of preservation of records was supplied to 83 agencies in all. To meet the demand for a book on principles and techniques of preservation and repair of records, the Department published a brochure on "Repair and Preservation of Records."
Photo-Duplication Photo-duplication service was rendered to scholars and institutions as usual. The microfilming programme of the Department was continued and 170,000 exposures were made. The microfilming and repair of rare and precious manuscripts from the Raza Library, Rampur, were also continued. Besides, 2,600 enlarged prints, 16,500 photostat copies and 4,500 feet of positive prints were prepared and 450 microfilm-reels checked. Special mention may be made in this connection of the microfilming of the "Roznamcha Bahadur Shah" (Persian) by this Department's mobile unit at the Naziria Library, Delhi.
Indian Historical Records Commission The meeting of the Members of the thirty-fourth Session of the Indian Historical Records Commission was held at Trivandrum on the 1st January, 1959. The Commission passed a number of resolutions. On the recommendation of the 28th meeting of the Research and Publication Committee of the Commission, the Government of India have provide for a financial grant of Rs. 42,000 for the year 1959-60 for disbursement to such State Governments as might co-operate with the National Archives of India in compiling the National Register of Records. The Governments of Madras, Punjab, and Orissa have accordingly been given a sum of Rs. 1,500 each and the Rajasthan Government a sum of Rs. 2,000.
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During the year under review, Part I of Volume XXXIV of the Pro- ceedings of the Indian Historical Records Commission and Volume. II of the Proceedings of the National Committee of Archivists were publish ed. Part II of volume XXXV of the Indian Historical Records Commission Proceedings is in the press.
Inspection of Central Government Records The records of the Central Government in the custody of the Government of Bombay and Mysore were inspected by the Director of Archives in July, 1959 while the Central Government records in the possession of the Government of Assam and the Union territories of Manipur and Tripura and of some of the Central Government Agencies at Calcutta Were inspected by an Assistant Director of the Department in March, 1959. The recommendations of the Inspecting officer have been mostly accepted by the agencies concerned.
National Archives of India, Regional Office, Bhopal The normal work of checking, listing, repairing, rehabilitating, cleaning and arranging the records acquired from the late Government of Bhopal was continued. The historical records of the former princely States of Gwalior, Indore and Rewa are also being taken over from their present custodians, the Government of Madhya Pradesh, to be housed in the Regional Office.
Annexe to the N.A.I. building in New Delhi To meet the demand's for additional space to house a large volume of non-current records expected to flow in from the numerous Government agencies, an annexe to the existing National Archives building on Janpath will be constructed shortly. Plans have been approved and an expenditure of Rs. 24 lakhs has also been sanctioned.
Archives Legislation Committee A Committee of 10 members including non-officials and representative of the Ministries of Home Affairs, External Affairs, and Law has been set up under the Chairmanship of Dr. Tara Chand, M.P., to advise on the proposed Archival Legislation. The Committee will, inter alia examine and report by March, 1960, on the condition of public records of national importance in the custody of the Central and State Governments, the desirability of establishing a few zonal archives, the conditions and extent of public access to non-current records, etc.
Review of Standing Charges The Standing Charges of the National Archives of India (including the Regional Office at Bhopal) were reviewed by the Department's Internal Economy Committee. According to the Committee's report, the
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existing charges are already at the minimum keeping in view the expan- sion in the functions and activities of the Department in recent years, the number of temporary employees still being employed in various grades on Schemes of Development and certain special responsibilities undertaken by the Department, e.g. preservation of manuscripts and papers, private archives acquired as gifts and by purchase, etc., and the fact that several of the Second Plan Schemes of the Department are long-term ones and will have to be continued during the Third Plan and possibly many succeeding plans as well. A special on-the-spot study of the Department is however expected to be undertaken shortly by the Ministry of Education in accordance with, definite standards of job analysis, time and motion. etc., and such further review as may be necessary, of the Standing Charges of the Department will be made on the basis of such examination.
Programme for January-March 1960 In addition to the normal duties of the Department the introductory part of the Handbook to the records of the National Archives of India, the volume on Browne Correspondence, the annual reports of the National Archives of India for the year 1958 and 1959, the brochure entitled "Indian Seals" and volume XI of The Indian Archives journal will be published. Material for the issue of the year 1958-59 of The Indian Archives journal will be sent to the press.
250 books on historical and archival topics will be added to the Library of the Department.
The thirty-fifth annual session of the Indian Historical Records Commission and the Twenty-ninth meeting of the Research and Publication Committee will be held at New Delhi on the 4th and 5th February, 1960 under the auspices of the Government of India. An exhibition of historical records, documents, seals, etc. will be or orgnised by the Department on the occasion. A meeting of the National Committee of Archivists is likely to be held in March, 1960.
Programme for 1960-61 In addition @to the normal duties of the Department, it is proposed to speed up the programme of compiling information on archival accumulation in different central agencies. Acquisition of microfilm-copies of records of Indian interest from India and abroad will be continued. Revenue maps from the Survey of India Office, Dehra Dun will be acquired. Efforts will also be made to acquire maps of historical importance from abroad.
Microfilming of rare and precious manuscripts from the Raza Library, Rampur will be continued. It is expected that the second volume of the Handbook to the records in the National Archives of India will be pub-
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lished. The printing of some more volumes of the Fort William-India House Correspondence will be taken up. The revision of volumes VII and III of the series will be completed. The Indian Archives journal and the annual reports of the Department will be brought up to date. A revised brochure of the list of publications of the Department is likely to be published. Checking and revision of the typescript of volume XI (1794-95) and calendaring of volume XII (1796-97) of the Calendar of Persian Correspondence will be completed-and volume XI of the series will be sent to the Press. Books worth Rs. 20,000 are likely to be added to the Library of the Department.
Efforts will be intensified to approach the owners of private collections of records direct or through press in order to seek their cooperation in preserving the country's cultural heritage. The checking and docketing of the Mutiny papers in the custody of this Department will be completed.
The thirty-sixth annual session of the Indian Historical Records Commission is likely to be held between December 1960 and February 1961. Two meetings of the Research and Publication Committee will be arranged during the year; one in July or August 1960 and the other during the session of the Indian, Historical Records Commission. So also one meeting of the Local Records Sub-Committee and two meetings of the National Committee of Archivists are likely to be held during the year.
The compilation of the National Register of Records is expected to be undertaken. The compilation of part II of the Handbook of Indian Archival, Repositories is expected to be completed. The Staff- Manual of the National Archives of India is expected to be revised and published.