Publications of the National Archives of India

The publication programme of the National Archives of India was started in 1942 on the recommendation of the Research and Publication Committee of the Indian Historical Records Commission. It was initiated under the guidance of Shri S.N. Sen, Director of Archives. As per the committee's recommendations, the publication scheme was launched in two categories:

• In-extenso publication of the records
• Selections from English and Oriental records

Since then, the department has regularly published various types of materials based on the principles outlined in the publication scheme. However, a few publications were also released before the regular programme began.

Additionally, the department collaborated with universities and learned societies to sponsor the publication of significant historical documents, including:

• Selections from Orme Manuscripts (Annamalai University)
• Punjab Akhbars, 1839-40 (Sikh History Society)
• Elphinstone's Correspondence, 1804-1808 (Nagpur University)
• Ochterlony Papers, 1818-25 (Calcutta University)
• Foreign Department Newsletters: North-Western Frontier and British India, 1839-42 (Punjab University, 2 Volumes)

As part of this initiative, volumes in Bengali, Hindi, Persian, Sanskrit, and Telugu documents have also been published.

In 1960, the Committee on Archival Legislation, led by Dr. Tara Chand, recommended discontinuing the full-text or abridged summary publication of record series once current projects were completed. The privilege of full publication was to be reserved for special collections related to lesser-known historical phases.

Regarding education records, the committee suggested transferring their publication responsibilities from the National Archives of India to either an appropriate branch of the Ministry of Education or a suitable institution. Consequently, the task of publishing selected Education Record Series was transferred to the Zakir Hussain Centre for Educational Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

A major shift in publication policy occurred in 2010 when Prof. Mushirul Hasan, Director General of Archives, initiated the reprinting of rare books under the ‘Archives in India: Historical Reprints Series’ as part of a Public-Private Partnership (PPP) programme. Additionally, the Publication Committee recommended that public records, private papers of eminent personalities, and collections from Oriental Records be edited and published with the assistance of eminent academicians for scholars and researchers.

The department has released both priced and non-priced publications.