Literary Organisations: Art & Culture for UPSC Exams

Literary Organisations

"   National Book Trust

Set up in 1957, its work is to produce and encourage the production of good literature and make it available at cheaper rates. It subsidizes the publication of university level text book written by Indian authors. It organizes national book fairs and regional book fairs.

"   National Educational Resources Centre (NER C)   The centre was establ ished in 1972  and  is   also   known   as   

Raja Rammohan Roy National Educational Resource Centre. Its main function is to promote Indian Authorship, Indigenous pro- duction of University Level Books and to provide Documentation and  Statistical analysis of printed material. It ranks 3rd in the world after USA and UK in the publish- ing of English books.

"   Asiatic Society Asiatic Society, Kolkata, was founded in 1776 by

Sir William Jones (1764 - 1794) an eminent indologist, with the objective of inquiring into the History, Science, Arts and Literature of Asia. It has contributed to the growt h a nd development of mos t of the major Antiquarian, Scientific and Literary in- stitutions of India. Its historic importance was recognized and the government declared it an institution of ‘‘National Importance’’ in 1984.

The society maintains a museum which con- tains approx. 47000 manuscripts in various languages. With its library of printed books, archives and the collection of manuscripts, it  is one of the leading centres of study of indology in the world.

?  National Library, Kolkata

The National Library, Kolkata was established in 1948 with the passing of the imperial Li- brary (Change of Name) Act, 1948. The basic functions of the Library, which enjoys the sta- tus of an institution of national importance, are: (1) Acquisition and conservation of all signifi- cant production of printed material as well as of  manuscripts of national importance, (ii) Collection of printed material concerning the country, no matter where this is published; (iii) Rendering of bibliographical and documentary services of current and retrospective material, both general and specialised (iv) Acting as re- ferral centre, purveying full and accurate knowledge of all sources   of bibliographical information and Participation in  international bibliographical activities; and (v) Acting as a centre for international book exchange and in- ternal loan.

?  Central Reference Library, Kolkata The  Central Reference Library is a subordi- nate  office of the Department of Culture at present  under the ministry of Culture, Gov- ernment  of  India. This institution has been carved out of the National Library in order to compile the Indian National Bibliography after the promulgation of the delivery of books act, 1954.

?  State Central Library, Mumbai Established in 1804, the Asiatic Society focuses on study and research in languages, philoso- phy, arts and natural & social sciences on Asia in general and India in particular. Besides a mu- seum, the Asiatic Society maintains a state central library. The Asiatic Society of: Bombay is a public state library in the city of Mumbai. It was established in 1803 as 'The Royal Asi- atic Society,  Bombay  Branch." The society, founded by Sir James Mackintosh was known as the Literary Society of Bombay, and first met on November 26, 1830. It was later moved to the present Tower Hall building which was built in 1804. The library is currently run on an annual grant by Maharashtra.

?  Central Secretariat Library, Delhi The Central Secretariat Library (CSL) origi-nally known as Imperial Secretariat Library, Kolkata was established in 1891. Since 1969 the Library has been housed at Shastri Bhawan, New Delhi. It has a collection of over seven lakh documents mainly on Social Sciences and Humanities. It is a depository of Indian Offi- cial Documents, Central Government and has a strong collection of State Government: docu- ments also.

?  Connemara Public Library, Chennai Connemara Public Library at Chennai is one of the four National Depository libraries, which receive a copy of all books, newspapers and periodicals published in India. Established in 1890 the libray is a repository of centuries old publications, wherein lie some of the most re- spected works and collections in the country. It also serves as a depository library for the UN.

?  Saraswati Mahal Library, Thanjavur The Thanjavur Maharaja Serfoji's Sarasvati Mahal Library is one of the few medieval Li- braries that exist in the world. It is an un- bounded repository of culture and inexhaust-ible treasure-house of knowledge built up by t he s uccess ive dynasties  of Nayaks  and Marathas of Thanjavur. It contains very rare and valuable collection of manuscripts on all aspects of art, culture and literature The En-

Some Important Institutes

#  Indira Gandhi Rashtriya Manava Sangrahalaya, Bhopal

#  National Mission for Manuscripts, Delhi

#  Allahabad Museum, Allahabad

#  Asiatic Society, Kolkata

#  Central Institute of Buddhist Studies, Jarnmu and Kashmir

#  Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies (CIHTS)

#  Centre for Cultural Resources and Training, New Delhi

#  Delhi Public Library, Delhi

#  Gandhi Samriti and Darshan Samiti, New Delhi

#  Indian Museum, Kolkata

#  Kalakshetra Foundation, Thiruvanmayur Chennai

#  Khuda Baksh Oriental Public Library, Patna

#  Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Institute of Asian Studies (MAKAIAS), Kolkata

#  National Council of Science Museums, Kolkata

#  National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology (MMIHACM), Delhi

#  Nav Nalanda Mahavihara, Nalanda, Bihar

#  Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, New Delhi (Teen Murti Bhavan)

#  Raja Ram Mohan Roy Library Foundation, Kolkata

#  Raza Library, Rampur

#  Salar Jung Museum, Hyderabad

#  Saraswathi Mahal Library, Tanjore

#  Victoria Memorial Hall, Kolkata

cyclopedia Brittanica in its survey of Libraries of world mention this as "the most remarkable library in India."

?  Raza Library, Rampur

The Rampur Raza Library is a treasure house of  Indo Islamic lear ning and Art. It was founded by Nawab Fatzullah Khan in 1774 AD. His descendants continued to enrich the col- lection. After the independence and merger of Rampur State in the Union of India, the library was brought under the management of a Trust till the Govt. of India took over the library on 1st July 1975 under the Act of Parliament which declared it as an institution of National impor- tance. Its affairs are managed by the Rampur Raza Library Board whose Chairman is the Governor of U.P.