50th Golden Jubilee Meeting of the National Committee of Archivists concludes in Chennai
The two-day 50th Golden Jubilee Meeting of the National Committee of Archivists (NCA), jointly organized by the National Archives of India (NAI), Janpath, New Delhi and the Tamil Nadu Archives and Historical Research, Chennai, concluded successfully on 19th September 2025 at the Tamil Nadu Archives in Chennai. This was the fourth time that Chennai hosted the NCA meeting, marking a significant milestone in India’s archival journey.
The event was inaugurated with the facilitation of Dr. Govi Chezhian, Minister of Higher Education, Government of Tamil Nadu, alongside senior officials including Shri Sanjay Rastogi, IAS, Director General of Archives, NAI & Chairman, NCA, Shri Har Sahay Meena, IAS, Principal Secretary/Commissioner, Tamil Nadu Archives & Local Secretary, NCA, Neha Bansal, IAS, Additional Director General, NAI, Dr. D.P. Shankar, IAS, Secretary, Higher Education Department, Tamil Nadu, and Shri Naoroibam Raju Singh, Deputy Director (i/C), NAI & Member Secretary, NCA.
In his inaugural address, Dr. Govi Chezhian highlighted the Tamil Nadu Government’s commitment to archival preservation, noting that ₹10 crore had been allocated last year for adopting the Japanese tissue mending technique, with another ₹10 crore allocated this year. He further announced a stipend of ₹25,000 per month for young researchers to encourage studies and publications on the history of Tamil Nadu. The Minister also launched the official Web Portal of Tamil Nadu Archives and released two publications titled:
Revolts against British Rule in Tamil Nadu and Supreme Sacrifices Prior to 1857 AD
The Four Mysore Wars and the Conquests of Tamil Nadu.
Speaking on the sidelines, Shri Har Sahay Meena stated that eight lakh archival documents had already been preserved under the Japanese tissue mending technique, out of the targeted ten lakh in the first year. While most military records have been preserved, the next phase will focus on revenue records.
