New Delhi, Oct 1 (PTI) Rare archival documents related to the Bofors case, legislative developments, such as constitutional amendment bills, and inception of the BJP are on display as part of an exhibition that began here on Tuesday.
These and several other key documents were transferred to the National Archives of India (NAI) during 2021-2024 as part of the government’s special cleanliness campaign.
The exhibition — ‘Sushasan aur Abhilekh’ — hosted at the NAI was inaugurated by Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat, who termed these documents as akin to “our institutional memories” which have to be preserved and stored.
Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, from 2021 to 2024, approximately 74,000 files of historical importance were transferred to the NAI after appraisal from 11 ministries and departments, the Culture Ministry said in a statement.
Through this exhibition, the National Archives provided a glimpse of these newly acquired documents, offering insights into the evolution of governance in India.
The exhibited items also include a set of colour photos of the Rashtrapati Bhavan, taken from a Chetak helicopter, as part of the “first aerial photography of Rashtrapati Bhawan” after Independence, officials said.
V Srinivas, Secretary, Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances (DARPG), told reporters that during 2021-2023, “about one crore files were weeded out” and several thousands of files were preserved.
The records exhibited include displays on significant legislative developments, such as constitutional amendment bills and the election of the speaker of the Lok Sabha and deputy chairman of the Rajya Sabha.
Old photographs of the Parliament House and first President Rajendra Prasad on tour are also part of this thematic exhibition that will run till October 4.
Exhibits also include records related to awarding of Padma Vibhushan to Gen Jayanto Nath Chaudhuri and Air Marshal Arjan Singh.
Visitors can explore important records related to India’s trade and industrial growth, including documents on the “Bofors committee” and the National Renewal Fund (NRF), the ministry said in the statement.
Notable patents, such as the multilingual typewriter patented by Viswas Raghunath Bharve, have also been showcased, as also Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel’s 1950 address on Calcutta Radio.
From the President’s Secretariat, documents related to elevation of General Sam Manekshaw as India’s first Field Marshal, and a photograph of him receiving the decoration from the President are also on display.
Records pertaining to the Election Commission of India tell its journey from ballot boxes to the implementation of electronic voting machines (EVMs), first introduced in the 1982 Kerala Assembly elections.
A letter written by M M Joshi to the ECI in 1980 seeking ‘lotus’ symbol for the newly formed BJP on view of the forthcoming assembly elections is also part of the display.
Records showcasing Indian Railways’ role in expanding rail networks both within India and internationally, in countries like Sri Lanka and Myanmar; archival material highlighted the post-Independence renaming of the Imperial Library to National Library, along with discussions on the 1955 Citizenship Bill, also being exhibited.
The NAI is an attached office under the Ministry of Culture. It was established in 1891 as the Imperial Record Department in Calcutta (now Kolkata). Following the transfer of the capital from Calcutta to Delhi in 1911, the present building of the National Archives of India was constructed in 1926 which was designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens.
The transfer of all records from Calcutta to New Delhi was completed in 1937. PTI KND KVK KVK
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