National Archives of India
Introduction
National Archives of India is a repository of non-current records of government of India and holds them in trust for the use of administration. It was set up in March 1891 in Calcutta (Kolkata) of the Department of Culture as the Imperial Record Department and subsequently shifted to New Delhi in 1911 following the shifting of National Capital.
Functions and Powers
The National Archives of India is an attached office in the Ministry of Culture. It is the Central Repository of non-current records of enduring value belonging to
- Ministries and Departments of the Government of India.
- Private papers of eminent Indians
- Microfilm copies of records of Indian interests from abroad.
It has regional office at Bhopal and record centers at Jaipur, Pondicherry, and Bhubaneswar. The National Archives provides financial assistance to States/UnionTerritories, Archives, Voluntary Organisations and other custodial institutions, so that the documentary heritage is preserved and archival science is promoted.
Records
National Archives of India holds the records in a regular series starting from 1748. There are four categories:
- Public Records
- Oriental Records
- Manuscripts
- Private Records
The records are in different languages such as English, Hindi, Arabic, Sanskrit, Persian, Urdu, Modi etc. They are in different forms such as paper, palm leaf, birch bark, parchment etc.
School of Archival studies
The Institute of Archival Training was setup in 1976 in National Archives of India. Later it was renamed as School of Archival studies. It aims to promote historical research and archives on scientific lines by offering many courses in this discipline. It provides training for Archivists, Record Managers, Preservationists and Microphotographists.
Websites
http://nationalarchives.nic.in
