NATIONAL MUSEUM BULLETIN NO. 9

A good number of publications from the National Museum, during my tenure i.e., December 1998, have already been published. There are a few in the Press about which mention may be made one of the fore most of them being the Wall Paintings of Rajasthan by Dr. Mira Seth. It will be a very major work on art for which the Publication Department of the National Museum still has to spend lot of energy and time. There are some who questions taking up such a major work by the National Museum, one which is authored by an outside scholar and has nothing to do with the objects in the collection of the National Museum. But this has been done with due approval of the Publication Committee set up by the Ministry of Tourism and Culture and keeping with the earlier tradition of publications authored by outside scholars. It is a fact that instead of publishing the works of established scholars, who are not staff members of the National Museum or National Museum Institute and whose works were not on the collection of this museum, the authorities should have given encouragement for publications of catalogues, prepared by the officers of the National Museum on their own departmental Collection. But at that time emphasis had been on publication of the works of established outside scholars. Hence, there is no proper catalogue on the collections of the National Museum today, except, a few, which have been published after the undersigned took the responsibility of the National Museum. In future to avoid such criticism we would see that this practice is done away with and our own officers are given chances to prepare the catalogues which will be published by the National Museum in phases. We will also, however, encourage the outside scholars or retired National Museum officers to publish catalogues as they are experienced. They can also do jointly with our officers and train our officer for better production.

The present number of the Bulleting is a special number, which was supposed to be published during the Golden Jubilee year of the National Museum, 1999, but could not be published due to pressure of other works in the Publication department, particularly works on the increases number of exhibitions and other functions. Every collection incharge has written something about their collections or the activities held under their supervision. I am sure, the scholars, researchers and persons interested in the art and antiquarian studies, will like it. Now onwards we shall try to publish the Bulletin regularly and also publish the News letter, inspite of the serious problem of lack of a Curator Publication and Production Officer, as most of our officers of the Collection Departments have completed their verification work done under the direction of the Hon'ble High Court and are free to do other works. I thank the Publication departments officers and staff for their sincere efforts to bring out this publication.

New Delhi, September 2002

R.D.Choudhury
(Director General)

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