Context:
NAI has digitised more than 10 crore pages of historic documents.
National Archives of India (NAI):
- Established: 1891 in Calcutta (Kolkata) as the Imperial Records Department.
- Current Location: New Delhi, with one regional office in Bhopal and three records centers in Bhubaneswar, Jaipur, and Puducherry.
- Ministry: Functions as an attached office of the Ministry of Culture.
- Purpose: Acts as the custodian of records of enduring value, including public records, private papers, oriental records, cartographic records, and microfilms.
- Key Functions –
- Preservation & Management: Ensures proper storage, conservation, and restoration of historical documents.
- Records Appraisal: Guides government departments on record retention and disposal.
- Public Access: Provides researchers, scholars, and administrators access to archival materials.
- Implementation of Public Records Act, 1993: Overseen by the Director General of Archives.
- Collections & Holdings –
- Public Records: Official documents from government ministries, departments, and public sector undertakings.
- Private Papers: Personal collections of historical figures, leaders, and scholars.
- Oriental Records: Manuscripts and documents in Persian, Arabic, and Sanskrit.
- Cartographic Records: Maps and geographical documents of historical significance.
- Microfilms: Digitized versions of rare and fragile documents
Source: TH
Previous Year Question
Who among the following Mughal Emperors shifted emphasis from illustrated manuscripts to the album and individual portraits?
[UPSC Civil Service Exam – 2019 Prelims]
(a) Humayun
(b) Akbar
(c) Jahangir
(d) Shah Jahan
Answer: (c)