An audio visual studio using state of the art technology will be in place soon to make OSA one of the best in its category, says its Superintendent
Bhubaneswar: In a bid to preserve non-current records of enduring value for administrative use as well as for historical research purpose, the state government had established Odisha State Archives(OSA) June 1, 1960. The organisation, over the last seven decades, has turned out to be one of the reliable sources of primary information about the economic, political and social development of the country connecting the past and present.
Archives are believed to be nothing more than the instruments of administration that preserve records for the efficient functioning of administrative bodies. However, OSA has gone on to become one of the most sought-after destinations for historians, economists, sociologists and genealogists. Needless to say, the organisation has a lot to offer now than just ending up as a centre of collection, preservation and management of records.
Speaking about the additional facilities it offers, Superintendent Sheikh Soleman Ali says, “OSA is equipped with facilities such as CCTV, smoke detectors to prevent fire mishap and digitisation of more than 10 lakh records.”
This apart, an audio visual studio using state of the art technology will be in place soon to make the organisation one of the best in its category. It will also introduce cloud storage facilities so that users can freely access information using Internet, added Ali.
OSA has been organising Sanskruti Charcha, a monthly seminar with the participation of eminent personalities from the field of art and culture to discuss the rich civilisation and heritage of the state. The programme is generally held on the last week of every month. OSA has so far conducted 42 sessions of Sanskruti Charcha which have offered great insights to the culture department.
Rabindra Narayan Behera, a former director of National Informatics centre, said that OSA’s move to preserve archival documents through digitisation is a move in right direction.
However, it should also use artificial intelligence to carry out the task. Besides smart technologies such as deep learning, Internet of Things (IoT),IIOT(Industrial Internet of Thing) and edge computing should also be put into use to preserve the valuable manuscripts. The department should follow a foolproof cyber security system too to protect its valuable digital records, he added.