Rare records on Gen Manekshaw becoming Field Marshal, swearing-in of 1st Prez on display in Delhi

New Delhi, Oct 10 (PTI) Images of some rare archival records, including a 1973 invitation card for the ceremony where the president conferred the insignia of Field Marshal on General Sam Manekshaw and a document on the minutes of a key meeting held on observing the 25th anniversary of India's victory in the 1971 war, are on display at an exhibition that opened here on Friday.

Organised by the National Archives of India (NAI), the exhibition titled 'Sushashan Aur Abhilekh 2025' also has reproduced images of a January 18, 1950, press note issued by the Press Information Bureau on the swearing-in ceremony of the first president of India, and a 1980 letter penned by M Haneefa of Emerald Services to the Election Commission for "consideration of his electronic vote counting machine" on par with machines manufactured by the ECIL and BEL.

Union Culture Minister Gajendra Singh Shekhawat inaugurated the exhibition organised as part of the 'Good Governance' month at the Dr Ambedkar International Centre.

"Archival records are not just words or letters for us. These documents and papers are witness to collective history, which reflect our policies and decisions, collectively giving us a sense of continuity," Shekhawat said in his address.

Images of documents related to the introduction of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and electoral reforms, and other valuable records illustrating India's governance and developmental journey are also on display at the exhibition.

It also displays valuable records drawn from the repositories of the president's secretariat, Election Commission of India, and various ministries.

The president's secretariat panel carries a photograph of then-president V V Giri conferring the insignia of the rank of Field Marshal on General Sam Manekshaw, and an image of the invitation card for the ceremony held on January 2, 1973, at Ashoka Hall of the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

Besides, an image of a document carrying operational instructions for the swearing-in ceremony of the president and vice-president of India in 1957 are also part of the panel.

A 1967 notification from the president's secretariat on "renaming" of awards -- Ashok Chakra Class I, Ashok Chakra Class II and Ashok Chakra Class III as 'Ashok Chakra', 'Kirti Chakra' and 'Shaurya Chakra', respectively -- has also been reproduced on a panel of the Ministry of Home Affairs.

It carries an image of a document labelled 'Secret' on the minutes of a meeting of the committee of secretaries held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan, on commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the victory in the India-Pakistan war of 1971.

The meeting was attended by some of the top government and military officials.

Among the decisions taken was to observe the 25th anniversary on December 16, 1996, as 'Vijay Diwas' and release of a commemorative stamp to mark the occasion.

"Care should be be taken in the publicity of Vijay Diwas to ensure that the theme is liberation of Bangladesh and our extending help to a friend. Nothing should be presented either in the celebrations or otherwise to the media, which may, in any way, cause embarrassment to the Bangladesh government," the document says.

A special section of the exhibition pays tribute to leaders such as former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee, whose government emphasised inclusive growth and infrastructure development, and APJ Abdul Kalam, whose contributions to science, technology, and youth empowerment continue to inspire generations.

Documents on the suo motu statement by Vajpayee in Parliament on May 27, 1998, soon after the conduct of India's nuclear tests at Pokhran in Rajasthan, and a text of his address to the nation on Doordarshan and All India Radio in June 1999 on the Kargil conflict, have also been depicted.

The Ministry of Power's records on significant infrastructure projects such as the Tehri Dam and Sardar Sarovar Dam are also on display.

The other participating ministries and departments -- including parliamentary affairs, commerce and industry, external affairs, law and justice, Jal Shakti, Railways, and the National Archives of India -- present images of key documents reflecting legislative reforms, trade agreements, water resource management, legal evolution, international diplomacy, and technological innovation in the railway sector.

Through these narratives, the exhibition underscores the dynamic relationship between governance and archival preservation in shaping the nation's developmental story, the culture ministry said.

Established in March 1891 in then Calcutta as the Imperial Record Department, the NAI was later relocated to New Delhi, with its iconic building designed by Sir Edwin Lutyens, which was completed in 1926.

The NAI comes under the purview of the Ministry of Culture.

An image of an 1891 letter on the establishment of the Record Office and a rare photo of the NAI building in Delhi are also part of the exhibition that will end on October 12. PTI KND SMV ARI