The National Archives of India was established on this day in Calcutta as the Imperial Record Department, to act as the central records office of the Government of India. According to the website of the archives, it is the biggest archival repository in South Asia.
The archive contains a wide range of materials, including public records, private papers, oriental records, cartographic records and microfilms. Its library is vital to its functioning.
When Imperial Record Department was established, it was felt that Central Library may be set up as an adjunct of the record department and also act as the apex body for departmental libraries, the website adds. The proposal was accepted and a large number of publications were transferred to Central Library from various offices.
In 1903, Imperial Library (later National Library) was set up and most of the holdings of Central Library were transferred to it. Duplicates of the original documents remained. Central Library now functioned as the “Spare Copy Room” and became the library of Imperial Record Department.
When it was decided to transfer Imperial Record Department to Delhi, a significant volume of the documents in Central Library were transferred to the department by 1937 and the library settled down in its new home, the website adds.