NEW DELHI: In a bid to enhance user experience and optimize search tools, the National Archives of India (NAI)—the repository of non-current Government records—may employ Artificial Intelligence (AI) and other cutting-edge technologies to upgrade its portal. Currently, approximately 5.92 crore digitized archival materials are available on the centralized server, accessible free of cost to scholars and history enthusiasts at www.abhilekh-patal.in.
The Archives have also embarked on a fresh round of restoration and conservation efforts to preserve 30 crore pages of rare historical records, including photographs, handwritten documents, maps, and treaties. Many of these documents are fragile, exhibiting stains, worm marks, and translucency due to aging. The conservation and digitization processes are expected to be completed by 2026.
Simultaneously with the ongoing phase of digitization, the NAI will explore the use of AI and other tools to enhance the search and viewing experience for future versions of its website. The current portal has had over 1.87 million unique visitors and approximately 28,000 registered users.
In the first phase, the NAI completed the digitization of 4.5 crore pages of its records over a span of three years. The second phase, focusing on restoration and conservation, will cover records at the NAI’s head office and Lahore Shed in Jaisalmer House, Delhi, as well as regional offices in Bhopal and record centers in Jaipur, Bhubaneswar, and Puducherry.
Established as the Imperial Record Department in 1891 in Kolkata, the then capital of British India, the NAI holds a vast collection of historical records. These include court orders and treaties signed by Mughal emperors and the British Empire, as well as private papers of eminent individuals who have significantly contributed to public life in India, such as Mahatma Gandhi, India's first president Rajendra Prasad, Dadabhai Naoroji, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, and Sardar Patel.
As one of the largest and most prestigious archival centers in the world, the NAI boasts records comprising 800 million pages, 5.7 million files, and 1.2 lakh maps.