Lok Sabha Question No. 3901 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-24
Subject: Puducherry Records Centre
Ministry: CULTURE
Asked by: Dr. D Ravi Kumar

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF CULTURE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 3901

## TO BE ANSWERED ON 24TH MARCH, 2025

## PUDUCHERRY RECORDS CENTRE

## 3901. DR. D RAVI  KUMAR :

Will the Minister of CULTURE be pleased to state :

- (a) whether  the  Government  has  any  plans  to  digitize  the  historical  records,  manuscripts  and archival collections at the Puducherry Record Centre and make them accessible to the public online, if so, the details along with the timeline for implementation;
- (b) the details of  the  amount  sanctioned  along  with  the  initiatives  being  taken  by  the Government  to  further  develop  and  modernise  the  Puducherry  Record  Centre,  including infrastructure upgrades and preservation techniques;
- (c) the details of the ongoing efforts to acquire additional private archival collections, palm leaf manuscripts or historical documents to expand the Puducherry Record Centre's repository; and
- (d) the  details  of  the  steps  that  have  been  taken  by  the  Government  to  promote  research  and academic  engagement  with  the  archival  records  stored  at  the  Puducherry  Record  Centre, along with any new initiatives to enhance accessibility for scholars and researchers?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF CULTURE AND TOURISM (GAJENDRA SINGH SHEKHAWAT)

- (a) :  Yes.  The  work  of  digitization  of  historical  records,  manuscripts  and  archival  collections available in the Puducherry Record Centre of National Archives of India has already been commenced from 28 th March  2024.  The  timeline  for  implementation  of  this  work  is  two years.  This  whole  value  chain  starts  from  the  process  of  preservation,  conservation  and digitization to make it available to the end user.
- (b) :  Every  year,  the  infrastructure  is  developed  in  Puducherry  Record  Centre  and  new preservation  techniques  are  being  implemented  to  modernize  the  Record  Centre  in  a scientific manner. Research Rooms, Conservation Rooms, Digitization Rooms, all Repositories are being modernized from time to time. The details of the amount sanctioned to CPWD,  Puducherry  Division  for carrying out the infrastructure development  of Puducherry Record Centre is given at Annexure.

## (c) : Puducherry Record Centre has a huge private archival collection, as detailed hereunder :

|   S. No. | Name Of The Private Archival Collection   | Inclusive Years   |
|----------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------|
|        1 | Ramanathapuram Samasthanam Records        | 1800-1900         |
|        2 | Purushotham Reddiar Papers                | 1944-1964         |
|        3 | Ramasamy Collection                       | 1884-1962         |
|        4 | Saraswathi Subbiah Collection             | 1936-1995         |
|        5 | Clement Eswar Collection                  | 1960-2005         |
|        6 | Arivudaya Nambi Collection                | 1933              |
|        7 | Nandi Varman Collection                   | 1967-2017         |
|        8 | Swaminathan Collection                    | 1888-2002         |
|        9 | Naga Sengamala Thayar Collection          | Pre-1954          |

Efforts  have  been  made  to  acquire  the  following  additional  private  archival  collections, palm  leaf  manuscripts  and  historical  documents  through  donation  from  the  private individuals/organizations:

|   S. No. | Name of the Private Archival Collection to be acquired   | Remarks                                                                  |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------|--------------------------------------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Late Shri. Thirumudi Sethuraman Collection               | Reputed Historian, Puducherry                                            |
|        2 | Late Smt. Mathana Kalyani Collection                     | Historian and Writer, Puducherry                                         |
|        3 | Late Dr. K. A. Gunasekaran Collection                    | Retd. Prof, Drama Artist, Puducherry                                     |
|        4 | Late Dr. Arivinambi Collection                           | Retd. Dean, Dept. of Tamil, Puducherry University                        |
|        5 | Late Shri. Sundara Shanmugam Collection                  | Writer, Puducherry                                                       |
|        6 | Late Shri. Puduvai Dasan Collection                      | Drama Artist, Puducherry                                                 |
|        7 | Late Dr. L. Thangappa Collection                         | Writer & Recipient of two times Sahitya Academy Award winner, Puducherry |
|        8 | Late Thiyagu Mudaliar Collection                         | Historian and Philanthropist                                             |
|        9 | Dr. Padmanabhan collection                               | Retd. PRO, Information and Publicity Dept., Puducherry                   |
|       10 | Late Dr. S. Murugesan Collection                         | Retd. Professor in French, Writer & Historian, Puducherry                |
|       11 | Sh. David Annusamy Collection                            | Retired Judge, Puducherry                                                |

- (d) : NAI has initiated digitization of more than 70 lakh pages of the archival holdings of Puducherry Record Centre for uploading these on the web portal of Abhilekh Patal. NAI aims to complete digitization  so  that  any  user  can  locate  the  Meta  data.  Further,  scholars  and  researchers  can requisition all the records and access them on the web portal of Abhilekh Patal.

## Annexure referred in reply to part (b) of L.S.U.Q. No. 3901 for 24 th March, 2025

|   S. No. | Nature of Work                                                                                                                                                                               | Year                    | Amount Sanctioned                            |
|----------|----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------------|----------------------------------------------|
|        1 | Providing false ceiling work including replacement of existing electrical fitting with false ceiling type fitting in this NAI Record Centre, Puducherry                                      | 2023-24                 | Rs.40,81,000/-                               |
|        2 | Replacement of existing conventional electrical fitting with energy efficient LED fittings in various locations of NAI Record Centre, Puducherry                                             | 2023-24                 | Rs.13,10,992/-                               |
|        3 | Providing 40 KWP grid tied rooftop solar power plant on terrace of NAI Record Centre, Puducherry                                                                                             | 2023-24                 | Rs.26,19,971/-                               |
|        4 | Supplying, Installation and Testing of new split type AC units at NAI Record Centre, Puducherry                                                                                              | 2024-25                 | Rs.5,52,326/-                                |
|        5 | Operation and Comprehensive Maintenance of E & M installations at NAI Record Centre, Puducherry                                                                                              | 2022-23 2023-24 2024-25 | Rs.17,07,547/- Rs.18,15,600/- Rs.15,40,549/- |
|        6 | Providing wooden furniture facilities (Round study table) in the Research Room of NAI Record Centre, Puducherry - Work has been undertaken by Puducherry Khadi and Village Industries Board. | 2023-24                 | Rs.4,83,564/-                                |