Scholars in the research room of Assam State Archives in Guwahati. Picture by UB Photos

Guwahati, Aug. 31: Be it the Military Report on the Brahmaputra prepared by the British army back in 1914, the census reports between 1881 and 1971 or just about any rare slice of the Northeast’s history, all that research scholars need to do to access information now is to go to the Internet and make a few clicks.

That’s before they head to a spic and span, newly renovated Assam State Archives here, knowing the file/book/ record they are looking for is available in the repository.

Chief minister Tarun Gogoi will launch the website of the archives at the secretariat here tomorrow, opening doors back to over three centuries.

The website, neatly prepared by the Assam Electronics Development Corporations Limited (Amtron), has comprehensive information under titles such as Collections, Online Library, Publications, Rare Photographs, Reports and Gazetteers, among others.

Dispur had initiated the move to modernise the Assam State Archives on a request by a section of historians in December 2012.

“We had started work on renovation and modernisation of the archives in May last year. Amtron has set up a data centre along with a server in the archives building. As of today, as many as 3,06,643 files (between 1774 and 1957) have been verified, thematically arranged and kept systematically,” Jishnu Barua, principal secretary to the chief minister and border areas department, told The Telegraph.

The files include those of the Bengal government, Dacca commissioner, Cooch Behar commissioner, passport and various departments.

A historian himself, Barua is looking after the archival development project and leading the archives team in updating the catalogue. “We have incurred an expenditure of Rs 1.95 crore under the project during 2013-14,” Barua said.

This correspondent took a sneak peek into the air-conditioned research room on Friday afternoon to find the place chock-a-block with scholars.

Among the other transformed parts of the archives include a fully furnished reception, a data centre for bar coding books/maps, a reprography section for microfilming and digitisation of files/indices and a conference room.

This, according to sources in the archives, is the first major renovation undertaken since the Assam State Archives was set up here in 1980.

Around 29,300 books/reports, 2,419 old maps, 450 manuscripts, 5,000 gazette volumes have been listed, thematically arranged and computerised in KOHA software. Files of the special branch (police) from 1935 to 1947 have been digitised and made available. As many as 3,500 files have been fumigated while 2,000 pages have been laminated/repaired.

“Three scholars from the Indian Council of Historical Research, Guwahati regional centre, have prepared the summary inventory of different departments such as home, education, general and judicial during 1912 and 1947 in collaboration with the archives. We had engaged 18 scribes in the cataloguing work,” D. Sonowal, director of Assam State Archives, said.

If that’s not all, there’s more to whet the history readers’ appetite. The archives is currently engaging experts to prepare three volumes of the Political History of Assam (since 1947). “A completion timeframe of two years is fixed against each volume,” Sonowal said.