TN govt to conduct rare records, books exhibit

CHENNAI: In a first, the Tamil Nadu Archives, under the Higher Education department, will display rare documents for public viewing. The Archives' main role is to centralise and preserve permanent records to make them accessible for historical research and official reference.

A senior Higher Education department official noted that the Tamil Nadu Archives has a separate library with a collection of 2,31,939 books, with the earliest book dating to 1633. "Over 1.5 lakh old records have been digitised and are available for viewing. Though they are digitised, viewing them in their physical form is always special for history enthusiasts."

Following stakeholders' requests, rare documents and records will be showcased for the public, and the State will allocate Rs 15 lakh. Documents of the East India Company from 1670 to 1857, Dutch, Danish and Persian are among the collection. The showcase will also include rare books.

The official said the records will highlight Tamil Nadu's perspective, and the showcase will create awareness for many who are not familiar with the State's rich archival history.

The official further said that the Old Settlement Register (OSR) from 1864 to 1897 and the Inam Fair Register (IFR) from 1861, which were recently uploaded online to facilitate easier public access to land records, may also be showcased. "An expert committee comprising historians will select the records and documents to be displayed," he added.