National Archives allows researchers to use mobile phones for scanning documents

Making its archives more accessible to researchers and students, the National Archives of India (NAI) has decided to allow scholars to take photos of records in its library with mobile phones.

Scholars can take up to 150 images a day of the records or documents that they require from the archives that have been issued to them as per their requisition. A fee of ₹500 will be charged from Indian scholars and ₹1,000 from foreign scholars which would be paid through the purchase of a coupon.

The NAI, in an office memorandum, said that registered research scholars would be allowed to take photos of records or documents with their mobile phone camera in the research room, private archives, oriental records and library under the supervision of the consultation area staff under CCTV surveillance.

Before commencing photography of the documents, the scholars would have to enter the details of the documents and the pages to be photographed in the form supplied and deposit the same with the officer in-charge of the consultation area.

However, some experts questioned the limit of 150 images a day and the need for a fee.

Rahul Sagar, Global Network Associate Professor of Political Science at the New York University, Abu Dhabi, in a tweet, questioned the charge put for pictures being taken with a phone. He also questioned the 150 images limit and the need for daily coupons.