Space crunch, staff shortages put Bihar State Archives under severe strain

Patna: The Bihar State Archives (BSA) faces several administrative and logistical hurdles that threaten the very history it seeks to protect. While the institution functions as a bridge between the past and the present, that bridge is under strain due to a shortage of physical space, a lack of specialised staff and the pressure of digitising millions of fragile documents without adequate facilities.

The existing building does not have the capacity to house new records. Departments are required to transfer their permanent files to the archives after 25 years, yet the BSA currently holds departmental records only up to 1960. Newer files have largely not arrived, primarily because the building lacks sufficient space to accommodate them. The state govt has, however, recently inaugurated a dedicated plot of land for the expansion of the BSA. “The process of bringing in those ‘missing’ years has finally started now that we have the room to grow,” says archivist Rashmi Kiran.


The delay in the transfer of records also reflects a deeper administrative problem: the absence of timely appraisal. Appraisal is the process through which archivists identify records of permanent historical value and separate them from those that can be discarded. Archivist Bharti Sharma says this process can function efficiently only if departments receive archival training and follow a clear retention schedule — a rulebook that specifies how long a file should be kept before it is destroyed or transferred to the archives.

“Appraisal shouldn’t wait for 25 years; it should ideally happen every one or two years,” Sharma says. “We categorise files into three types: Category A for permanent rules and regulations, Category B for records that are mostly permanent, and Category C for temporary administrative matters.” To address this gap, the BSA conducts workshops for departmental staff. “The goal is to ensure that officials know how to safe-keep files from day one so that when they finally reach the archives after 25 years, they are organised and intact,” she says.

The BSA is also grappling with a shortage of manpower. With many permanent posts lying vacant and no recruitment taking place, the department has increasingly relied on outsourcing for conservation work. This has raised concerns among heritage experts, as agencies tasked with conservation often lack trained personnel and technical expertise. Dr Shiv Kumar Mishra, INTACH co-convenor, says “haste and a lack of trained workers have led to significant negligence when it comes to conservation and digitisation”.

Mishra points to instances in Darbhanga where documents were damaged due to improper handling. “Yet, no action was taken against the agency. Digitisation requires experienced hands and adequate machines, not just speed. Rushing this process with inadequate machines and technical workers can destroy the very history we are trying to save,” he says. “Additionally, the donated books of renowned historians like R S Sharma and Upendra Thakur should be well arranged and maintained in the library,” he adds.

There is also what archivists describe as an “awareness gap” — the challenge of making citizens recognise that archives are a public resource, not merely a scholarly one. To address this, the BSA has recently expanded its outreach activities to engage students and the wider public. “We are using social media and holding exhibitions across the state to show people that these files belong to them,” says Kiran.

The archives have also published selected historical materials, including the Todar Mal diary, and a new book on Maulana Mazaharul Haque is under publication. In addition, the BSA brings out an annual journal titled ‘AbhilekhBihar’.