Abstract
The Indian Archives, the first number of which, dated January 1947, has just been received, is a welcome addition to periodical literature on documentation and to the specialist journals of India; its high quality is assured by the fact that it is published by the Imperial Record Department at New Delhi on behalf of the Indian Historical Records Commission. Since the establishment of the Imperial Record Department in 1891 and the Records Commission some thirty years later, much has been achieved, as reference to their many publications will show, in the collection and systematic classification, calendaring and indexing of the Government of India's extant records and in the technical work of their proper care and preservation. But much remains to be done. There are still many districts in India with an untold wealth of valuable archives in charge of unqualified keepers, and some Provinces and States without central record offices. India is not the only country that has in the past been indifferent to the value of its historical records. There, as elsewhere, healthy signs exist of an awakening of the public conscience, and the new journal is intended not only to stimulate this but also to serve as a clearing house for scientific knowledge on matters of archival interest and as an advice and information centre for Indian archivists. The editorial board proposes to print important articles on archival subjects from the foreign press as well as original contributions and papers dealing with India's special problems. This first number has a very interesting selection; it is well produced and will be well received by all concerned with archives and their keeping. It is to appear quarterly.
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The Indian Archives. Nature 160, 292 (1947). https://doi.org/10.1038/160292a0
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/160292a0