Shimla, Sep 8 (IANS) Himachal Pradesh Deputy Chief Minister Mukesh Agnihotri said on Tuesday that the first phase of digitisation of around 1.7 million pages of rare and valuable records preserved in the state archives has been successfully completed.
He added that the initiative would help ensuring the long-term preservation of the valuable documentary heritage of the state and make these historical records more easily accessible to the public, researchers and historians.
He said the Himachal Pradesh State Archives houses more than 30,000 historical records dating from 1807 onwards, besides rare books, gazetteers, settlement reports, manuscripts and other important documents.
“These records are regularly used by researchers, historians and academics from the state, across India and abroad for study and research.”
The Deputy Chief Minister said that with the support of the Union Ministry of Culture’s work on the National Manuscript Survey is also underway under the Gyan Bharatam Mission.
The survey is aimed at identifying, documenting and cataloguing rare and ancient manuscripts available in the state, he added.
He said that the manuscripts identified during the survey are being digitised under the National Digitisation Drive through the cluster centre established at the Himachal State Museum in Shimla.
Agnihotri said a modern digital archives portal will soon be developed in collaboration with the Information Technology Department to provide easy online access to the digitised records.
The fully searchable digital data prepared under the digitisation programme will be provided to the IT Department for hosting, management, maintenance and future upgrades.
The portal will soon be dedicated to scholars, researchers, historians, academics and the public.
The portal will provide safe, simple and wider online access to Himachal Pradesh’s historical and cultural heritage.
It will also support research, academic study, documentation and the dissemination of historical knowledge.
The Deputy Chief Minister said that digital copies of rare and ancient manuscripts identified during the National Manuscript Survey will also be securely preserved in the Himachal Pradesh State Archives.
This will enable researchers from India and abroad to access important manuscripts more easily for study and reference, he added.
Digital preservation will also help protect valuable records from physical deterioration and ensure that they remain available for future generations, he said.
The Deputy CM noted that the initiative marks an important step towards giving Himachal Pradesh’s history a strong digital presence.
It will help preserve the state’s rich documentary heritage and make it more accessible to future generations, researchers and the wider public.
–IANS
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