Centre releases 5th batch of 25 declassified files on Netaji

With this, 225 declassified files on Netaji have come into the public domain, includes 9 files of the Cabinet Secretariat

The fifth batch of 25 declassified files relating to Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was released online on web portal www.netajipapers.gov.in by Ministry of Culture secretary N K Sinha on Wednesday.

The present batch of 25 files consists of two files from the PMO (1951 to 1953), 14 files from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA)(1956-2008) and nine files of the Cabinet Secretariat (1956 to 2006), which run into 2248 pages.

It may be recalled that the first lot of 100 files relating to Netaji, after their preliminary conservation treatment and digitisation, were put in the public domain by Prime Minister 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 and fourth batch of 25 files were released subsequently on 29 March, 2016, 29 April, 2016 and 27 May, 2016 respectively.

With Wednesday's release, 225 declassified files on Netaji have come into the public domain which includes nine files of the Cabinet Secretariat also.

The present release of 25 files will further meet the continued public demand to access these files and 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 looked into the various aspects.

It looked to ascertain the physical conditions of the files and carry out necessary repair and conservation wherever needed, through the conservation unit.

It also looked to verify the quality of digitisation for enabling the digitised records to upload in the web portal 'www.netajipapers.gov.in' and also to check if there is any duplication in the files that are being released on the internet for use by the researchers and general public.

It may be reiterated 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.