The 9th
and final batch of 03 declassified files relating to
Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose were released online on web portal www.netajipapers.gov.in
today by Shri N.K. Sinha, Secretary, Ministry
of Culture. The present and final batch of 03 files
pertain to Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) (1953-1990).
It
may be recalled that first lot of 100 files relating to Netaji, after their
preliminary conservation treatment and digitization, were put in the public
domain by the Prime Minister of India, Shri Narendra Modi on 23 January 2016,
on the occasion of the 119th birth anniversary of Netaji. The second lot of 50 files, third lot of 25 files, 4th
lot of 25 files, 5th lot of 25 files, 6th lot of 25
files, 7th lot of 25 files and 8th lot of 25 files were
released subsequently on 29 March, 2016, 29 April, 2016, 27 May, 2016, 29 June,
2016, 29th July, 2016, 30 August, 2016 and 30th
September, 2016 respectively. In all, 300 files have been put in public domain
till now.
The
present final batch of release of 03 files will ultimately meet the continued
public demand to access these files and this will also facilitate scholars to
carry out further research on the doyen of the freedom movement.
These
many files having passed the scrutiny of the specially constituted Committee
having experts from the field of Archives which looks into the aspects such as:-
1.
To ascertain the physical conditions of the files and carry out
necessary repair and conservation wherever needed, through Conservation Unit.
2.
To verify the quality of digitization for enabling the digitized records
to upload in the web portal ‘www.netajipapers.gov.in’.
3.
To check if there is any duplication in the files are being released on
the internet for use by the researchers and general public.
It
may be reiterated that in 1997 the National Archives of India had received 990
declassified files pertaining to the Indian National Army (Azad Hind Fauj) from
the Ministry of Defence. Further, in 2012, 271 files/ items pertaining the
Khosla Commission, and 759 files/ items of Justice Mukherjee Commission of
Inquiry, in total 1030 files/ items were received from the Ministry of Home
Affairs. All these files/ items are already open to the public under the Public
Records Rules, 1997.
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Sanjay Kumar/jk/Culture/ 28-10-2016