The Sixth batch of 25 declassified files relating to Netaji Subhas
Chandra Bose were released online on web portal www.netajipapers.gov.in by Shri N.K.
Sinha, Secretary, Ministry of Culture here today. The
present batch of 25 files consists of 25 files from Ministry of External
Affairs (MEA) during 1952-2014.
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 batch of 25 files
and 5th batch of 25 files were released subsequently on 29 March, 2016,
29 April, 2016, 27 May, 2016 and 29 June 2016 respectively. In all, 225 files
have been put in public domain till now.
The
present release of 25 files will further 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 reiterate 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/Culture/29.07.2016