Archival Practice in India through the Lens of Contemporary History Writing

This article examines the implementation of archival policies in post-independence India, with a particular focus on the Public Records Act, 1993, and the Public Records Rules, 1997. It investigates how effectively these policies had been implemented in both national and state archives, and how they have continued to influence research and writing on contemporary history. The article also highlights the transitions that have taken place in both governmental and non-governmental archives in India. Until now, most research and historical writings on the relationship between history and archives have been explored largely by historians, who have primarily concentrated on the origin, evolution, theories, critiques, and significance of archives. Having worked for more than six years in institutions such as the National Archives of India, the Department of Delhi Archives, the History Division (Ministry of Defence), and the NLS Law and Society Archives, I have closely observed the functions and challenges of archival institutions. The aim of this article is to uncover the gap between archival laws and policies, and their actual implementation, while also drawing attention to the ongoing transformation of the National Archives of India and analysing the reasons behind the rise of private archives in the last few decades.