Jammu: The second day of the 49th National Conference of Archivists concluded here Saturday with focused discussions on digitalization of archival records, conservation strategies, outreach initiatives and collaborative efforts to strengthen India’s archival infrastructure.
The sessions brought together experts, administrators and delegates from across the country to share insights, progress updates and policy innovations in the archival domain.
The day began with a presentation by K.K. Sidha, Director, Directorate of Archives, Archaeology and Museums, who highlighted CSR support for archival activities. He explained the kinds of initiatives eligible for CSR funding, how such funds are mobilized and the recent efforts by the J&K government to launch a dedicated CSR policy.
He also detailed current digitalization efforts stating that the entire digitalization process is expected to conclude by November 2025 with an estimated cost of Rs. 25 lakh. He also mentioned that Shri Mata Vaishnav Devi Shrine Board has agreed to donate about 1006 manuscripts to the department. He further introduced the recently launched e-cart facilities aimed at enhancing visitor footfall to museums and empowering specially-abled individuals, orphans, widow and single women through livelihood opportunities.
The next presentation was delivered by Suresh Kumar Gupta, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests who spoke about manuscripts in private possession and the importance of awareness for their preservation and conservation. He stated that over 30,532 manuscripts have been registered by local the individuals, so far.
He proposed awareness campaigns and workshops, open to students and experts alike. He also suggested launching online portals for privately owned manuscripts and archival exhibitions, with the Forest Department pledging full support.
Dr. Rajesh Prasad, Assistant Professor at Daulat Ram College, University of Delhi, presented a roadmap for establishing Oral History Archives. He outlined a three-phase approach covering pilot projects, infrastructure, metadata cataloguing, public access and long-term sustainability.
Delegates advised that rather than investing in new equipment at this stage, partnerships should be formed with institutions like Doordarshan and All India Radio, which already possess the necessary technical resources.
In a significant acknowledgment of India’s progress, it was mentioned that CBSL, the company responsible for digitalization, has successfully digitalised over 8.5 crore pages in just the last 10 months.
The session proceeded with a presentation by Cloud Mojo Tech, demonstrating the importance of maintaining the health of digital data and proposing automated solutions for routine checks.
The day concluded with updates from states on their digitalization efforts and other matters as well. Tamil Nadu reported 2% digitalization, Maharashtra has tied up with 14 universities for Modi lipi training and has also been allocated 1.5 acre of land for storage purposes, Rajasthan has digitalized 50% of its 1.2 crore pages, Madhya Pradesh 30 lakh of 7 crore pages and Goa, home to India’s oldest archive, dating back to 1595, has digitalised 2 crore pages. Notable progress was also reported from J&K, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Odisha and Punjab.
The event concluded with the signing of an MoU between the Odisha State Archives and the National Archives of India on the Abhilekh Patal Odisha subchapter launched yesterday, paving the way for more collaborative and inclusive archival development across the Country.
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