4:00 pm – 5:30 pm (IST)

This session focuses on the critical issue of declassification and how state control over archival records shapes the writing of history, public accountability, and democratic access to knowledge. The discussion seeks to address the persistent gap between India’s vast documentary record—particularly in the domains of diplomacy, security, and foreign policy and the limited public access available to scholars, journalists, and citizens.

 

Our aim is clear: developing actionable strategies for a more transparent, accountable, and accessible declassification framework in India. This session of the Archives and Policy Seminar Series grapples with the tensions between the need for state secrecy on one hand and democratic access on the other, particularly when archives hold significance for understanding India’s political, diplomatic, and institutional history. This requires engaging seriously with the issues of secrecy, national security, bureaucratic culture, and the public’s right to historical knowledge.

The session will examine the institutional logic behind classification practices, declassification procedures, and the broader implications this has for archival research and democratic debate. Bringing together policymakers, scholars, archivists, and practitioners, the discussion aims to move beyond abstract concerns and toward practical recommendations for improving transparency, archival access, and the long-term preservation and release of state records in India.

This is a hybrid seminar and those who are unable to attend in-person in Delhi are invited to join online.

For more details on the series, see here. This is closed-door discussion at CSEP where a senior group of other scholars and policy experts share to share insights and expertise.If you wish to attend, either online or in person, please email NIHSA (nihsa@kcl.ac.uk). outlinining your credentials and motivation.