With the increased archival awareness in the country it has become extremely necessary to manage the public records properly on scientific lines. Even though Para 52 of the Secretariat Instructions contains guidelines regarding retention period of various categories of files but it is felt that the same is not adequate to deal with the problem in view of the manifold expansion in the activities of Government Departments. Therefore, it was considered necessary to prepare a Records Retention Schedule common to all Departments. The same has been prepared, published and circulated to all the Departments. Records Retention Schedule RRS (Click Here) (Size: 8.54 MB, Format: PDF, Language: English)
The Department has also taken up the task of preparation of Records Retention Schedule of Functional Files of all the Departments. In the first phase, the Records Retention Schedule of Functional Files of ten Departments is being prepared. The Department has also framed the Archival Policy Resolution to control and guide the creation, maintenance and disposition of the records of the Departments. It also defines and regulates the responsibilities of Departments and offices of the State Government for custody, care and management of records in their possession and for selection and preservation of public records of permanent value to the State Archives.
Arrangement
The records received in these Archives have been arranged and kept in accordance with the Principle of Provenance. The records are kept in the form of volumes, as these were received from the Punjab State Archives. Some of the records were received in envelopes. These records are arranged and kept into separate file covers. The records received in the forms of files are kept in bundles between two ply boards tied up tightly by rope on the pattern followed by the National Archives of India, New Delhi. Besides this, the confidential records received in the forms of files from various District Offices are kept in carton boxes. The whole records and books have been kept on steel racks.
Reference Media
In order to facilitate the research scholars, retrieval of records has been made easy through the reference media. From the year 1984 a systematic attempt was made to prepare and publish Press lists of the records of the Ambala and Delhi Divisions. The Press lists of General and Political Department 1857-1880, Military Department 1857-1873 and Public Works Department 1864-1880 of Ambala Division have been published. The Press list of Delhi Division, Military Department 1857-1869 Political Department 1857-1864 and Judicial Department 1857-1873 have also been published.