Select Activities of National Archives of India

for the Month of June 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:   17 Archival Assistants have been deployed to the following Ministries/ Departments for appraisal and transfer of Public Records to National Archives of India: Rehabilitation Division/Freedom Fighters Division of Ministry of Home Affairs, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion (Leather & L.A.-II Section) of Ministry of Commerce and Establishment Division of Ministry of External Affairs, New Delhi. The team appraised 12,973 files from the non-current records of the aforesaid Ministries/Departments. Under this project a total number of 16,333 files were transferred from various Ministries/Departments to National Archives of India for permanent retention. The entry of Transfer list of 2,459 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 14,142 files belonging to Ministry of Home Affairs and Archaeological Survey of India. Besides, they have arranged 5,731 files of Ministry of Home Affairs and Archaeological Survey of India, amalgamated 80 files from M/o Home Affairs (Rehabilitation, Administration, Budget, L&D, Pro Housing etc.); and wrote nomenclatures on 1,000 files and 32 bundles of M/o Home Affairs. The docketing and stitching work for 1,419 files of M/o Home Affairs, Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion and Archeological Survey of India was carried out by two menders. Prepared check list/ subject list of 1,337 files of Department of Industrial Policy & Promotion, All India Radio, M/o Home Affairs and M/o Health & Family Welfare were prepared. The department has received total number 16,333 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 14,212 entries pertaining to General Order by Commander in Chief (P.W.D.) for the period 1831-1857 were subject listed online.  

D.    Conservation and Preservation of Public Records: 21 Preservation Assistants and two Conservation Attendants continued the work. They have repaired and laminated 18,638 sheets, stitched and bound 98 volumes of varying sizes. Besides, the Special Chemical treatment was also provided to 300 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 19,030 sheets and stitched and bound 45 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 60 Rolls (39,000 Exposures) pertaining to Foreign & Political Department, Branch- 1. External, 2. Account, 3. Establishment; 70 Rolls (44,490 exposures) for PWD Series, Branch- Civil Works General, Military Department Proceeding, Military Proceedings; 60 Rolls (38,400 exposures) for the Department of Education & Health and M/o Education.

                                                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.

2.      Scheme of Financial Grants:

 

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

1. Examined applications received in response to the advertisement published in News Papers inviting applications for financial assistance under the scheme.

2. Utilization Certificates of 6 NGO’s/Individuals for the amount of Rs. 4,95,475 were issued in favour of PAO, Ministry of Culture.

3. Five cases for the amount of Rs. 2,47,750 were sent to PAO, M/o Culture for preparation of Cheques.

4. 73 Sanction letters for the amount of Rs. 32,81,304 were issued to Registered Voluntary Organizations/Individuals.

 

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

                                                  i.      Examined applications received in response to the advertisement published in News Papers inviting applications for financial assistance under the scheme.

                                                ii.      Institutions were asked to submit requisite papers and send the proposals through SLSC where existing or through controlling department of State Governments.

                                              iii.      One Utilization Certificate of Rs. 3,75,000/- were issued in favour of Pay & Accounts Office, M/o Culture.

 

 

3. Accession/ Acquisition

Public Records: 16,333 files of M/o Home Affairs, Freedom Fighters & Rehabilitation Division.

Books:  371 books were accessioned in the Library of the Department.

 

4. Appraisal/Retention Schedule of Records:

A.    The re-vetted retention Schedule of Power Grid Corporation Ltd. has been completed and the reports as well as the vetted Records Retention Schedules were sent for implementation to the Power Grid Corporation Ltd.

B.     Revision of the RRS of the substantive functions of National Archives of India is in under review and more information/clarification has been sought from different sections of NAI, before the finalization of the RRS of NAI.

C.     Spot-study for vetting of Records Retention Schedules of the following Ministries/ Departments are in various stage of finalization:-

A.    Department of Economic Affairs

B.     Airport Authority of India.

5. Research Facilities:

59 Indian and 04 foreign scholars were enrolled in the Research Room of the Department.  Altogether, 232 visits were made by the scholars and 2,947 requisitions for records were processed. 

6. Search Cases:

54 queries for specific information from the record holdings and library of the Department were attended including queries received under RTI.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  

 

7. Security Microfilming:

46 Rolls of Security Microfilming were undertaken from the records of Finance Department, Pension & Gratuities-A, March 1897 to April 1904, Home Department (The Imperial Gazetteer of India and Indian Civil Service Probationers), 1905-1946, Ministry of States (Political Department “A”), 1954 to 1954, Military Department, (General Order Commander in Chief), 1851-1868, Military Department Proceeding (ABC), 25 August 1854 to 15 September 1855, Military Department (letter from Court Directory of Bengal), 1852-1854, Military Department (Bengal, Military Funds), 1806-1823.

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

8. Publication: Brochure entitled ‘National Archives of India: June 2011 – May 2012’ has been brought out. The work relating to publication of a ‘Catalogue of Publications of National Archives of India’ is in the final stage of publication. The reprint of 6 rare books under the project Archives in India: Historical Reprints are in press.   

 9. Public Outreach Programme:

1. An exhibition entitled ‘Fascinating Documents from National Archives of India was displayed on the occasion of International Archives Day on 9 July 2012 at Uttar Pradesh State Archives, Lukhnow.

2. A presentation on ‘Archival Awareness’ was made by Sh. Rajmani, Assistant Director of Archives in the National Symposium on Challenges before Archives organised during International Archives Day celebrations at U.P. State Archives, Lukhnow.

 

10. In House Conservation:

       I.            Conservation: 6,401 sheets were repaired; 25 volumes, 12 books and 250 miscellaneous items were stitched and bound. 

 

    II.            Testing of Preservative Materials:

·         Restoration work of one volume of Ministry of Defence, Military Department, Despatch to Secretary of State to India, July-Dec 1888 received from RI is in progress.

·         Conservation of one album containing colour drawing, photographs, etc. received from library is in progress.

·         Sanskrit and Gilgit manuscripts were fumigated and given chemical treatment. Completed restoration of 1,583 sheets (total Eight Manuscripts) which were highly brittle and fragile in condition.

 

11.    Acquisition, Accession, Digitization and preparation of Reference Media of Private Papers:

Acquisition: The private collections of Dr. Mulkraj Anand Papers was acquired from Sarvodaya Sabha Trust, Mumbai, Maharashtra.

Accession: Two CDs of L/PJ/7 (3230-3247) and L/MIL/7 (1-53) received from National Archives, United Kingdom.

Digitization: The work of digitization of the following collections is in progress.

(a)   Gandhi Nidhi Series, Sabarmati Nidhi Series, Gandhi-Polak Correspondence, Gandhi-Kallenbach Papers, Gandhi Murder Trial and Champaran Satyagraha Papers, Ganhi-Esther Menon, Gandhi-Clementdoke, Gandhi-Mulchandji, Gandhi-Rameshwari Iengar Correspondence.

(b)   Jayramdas Daulatram Papers.

(c)    Badruddin Tayyabji Papers

         

12. Visits/ Deputation/ Committees/CEP:

       I.            Prof. Mushirul Hasan, Director General of Archives along with a team from the M/o Culture visited London from 14 – 16 June 2012 in connection with the acquisition of the Gandhi-Kallenbach Papers.

    II.            Sh. Rajesh Verma, Deputy Director of Archives attended the Inter Ministerial Meeting in connection with the examination of the ‘Promotion of the Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries’ held on 18 June 2012 at CSL, Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi.

 III.            S/Sh. T. Hussain, Ram Swaroop, Assistant Director of Archives and Sh. N.S Mani, Microphotographist were deputed to Mumbai from 27 June 2012 to 29 June 2012 for the on the spot study and to offer suitable advice/guidance for restoration and preservation of records which have been damaged due to the recent fire occurred in the Maharashtra Government Secretariat.  

 IV.            Smt. Rajbala Jain and Sh. N. Raju Singh, Archivist were deputed to Khandala, Maharashtra from 5 June 2012 to 9 June 2012 to acquire the entire collection of Dr. Mulk Raj Ananda from his residence at Khandala, Mumbai.

    V.            A group of 19 trainees along with the faculty members from Reserve Bank of India visited NAI on 26 June 2012.

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

 

14. School of Archival Studies (SAS)

 

I.                   One Year Diploma Course in Archives and Records Management (2011-12 Sessions):  Paper III- Conservation and Reprography, is in progress.

II.                Internship Programme for the One year Diploma trainees for six month (Session- 2011-2012) is in progress.

III.             75th Short Term Certificate Course in Servicing and Repair of Records (7 May to 15 June 2012):  The course has been concluded on 15 June 2012.

IV.             66th Short term certificate course in Care & Conservation of Books, Mss and Archives ( 2 July- 24 August 2012)

Ten applicant has been selected for admission

V.                Advertisement for the following courses in the School of Archival Studies has been sent for publication in the Employment News.

• One year Diploma Course in Archives and Records Management (2012-2013)

• 75th Short Term Certificate Course in Records Management (3-28 September 2012)

• 76th Short Term Certificate Course in Servicing and Repair of Records (3 September to 12 October 2012)

 

 

 

                                               

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