Promotional Activities

One of the major objectives for which the ICHR was established by the Government of India, is promotion of historical research in the country. The prime responsibility of ICHR is to make rigorous assessment of the quality of research work and exercise a close monitoring of results before providing funds to individuals/ institutions for research and publication. This objective is achieved through various research funding schemes of the Council which include award of Fellowships; Research Projects; Contingency (Study-cum-Travel) grants; grants for foreign travel of scholars and their maintenance abroad and for visits of foreign scholars; publication subsidies; and financial assistance to professional organizations of historians for holding seminars / symposia /conferences / workshops etc. on the subject of historical significance.

RESEARCH PROJECTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND CONTINGENCY (STUDY-CUM-TRAVEL) GRANTS
B. FOREIGN TRAVEL GRANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES/COLLECTION OF SOURCE MATERIALS FROM REPOSITORIES ABROAD.
C. CULTURAL EXCHANGE PROGRAMME
D. ICHR FOUNDATION DAY

RESEARCH PROJECTS, FELLOWSHIPS AND CONTINGENCY (STUDY-CUM-TRAVEL) GRANTS
(2007 - 2008)

Research funding provided to the scholars/institutions/associations of professional organizations of historians during 2007-08 is summarized hereunder:

1. Research Projects
(a) approved: 14
(b) on going : 31 – 45
2. National Fellowship – 04
3. Senior Research Fellowships
(a) approved: – 08
(b) ongoing: – 07 – 15
4. Post—Doctoral Fellowships
(a) approved: – 21
(b) ongoing: – 05 – 26
5. Junior Research Fellowships
(a) approved: – 205
(b) ongoing: – 157 – 362
6. Foreign Travel Grants approve – 34
Including participation in international conferences, collection
of sources, additional grant, etc.
7. Contingency (Study-cum-Travel) Grants- 123 including
additional grant and revalidation.
8. Publication Subsidy approved - 62 including theses,
manuscripts, journals, proceedings of seminars, etc.
Books/Journals/Proceedings received after publication under
Grant-in- and Scheme
(a) Books 22
(b) Journals 22
(c) Proceedings 04
9. Seminars / Conferences / Congresses / Workshops: 88

In order to ensure an optimum utilization of the resources, each proposal received in the ICHR is carefully examined by the experts and placed before the appropriate Committees of the Council for consideration. Keeping in view the merit of each proposal, the Council approves the research proposals for financial help.

As shown above, during the year 2007-2008, in total, the Council approved Research Projects / Fellowships / Contingency (Studycum- travel Grants)/ Publication subsidy under Grant-in-aid Scheme/ Seminar/Symposia/Conferences etc./Foreign Travel Grant (FTG) apart from bringing out its own publications, and continued the funding of on-going ones. The figures shown in the table above are Research Projects 45, Fellowships 407 inclusive of 04 National Fellowships, Contingency (Study-cum-travel Grant) 123 and FTG 34, Publication Subsidy 62, and 88 cases of extending financial assistance for holding seminars / symposia / conferences etc. on the subject of historical significance. All other fellowships awarded in the years 2006-07 (except the extension given for six months) continued during the period. During the year 2007-08 the Council has received 22 Books, 22 Journals and 04 Proceedings after publications under the its grants-in-aid Scheme.

It is seen that, over the years, the various schemes of the Council have become popular. Consequently, the number of applicants has increased manifold.

B. FOREIGN TRAVEL GRANTS FOR INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCES/COLLECTION OF SOURCE MATERIALS FROM REPOSITORIES ABROAD.

The Council extended financial assistance to 34 scholars for attending and participating in different International Conferences / Congresses in different parts of the world, and for collection of source material relating to their research
work from the different repositories abroad.

C. CULTURAL EXHANGE PROGRAMME (2007 - 2008)

1. The following Scholars have been nominated under Indo- French Cultural Exchange Programme :

(i) Dr. Nandini Sinha Kapur, Reader, Department of History, PGDAV College, University of Delhi, Delhi (Ancient India)(ii) Dr. Nadeem Rezavi, Reader, Centre of Advanced Study in History, Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (Medieval India)
(iii) Dr. Indivar Kamtekar, Centre for Historical Studies, School of Social Sciences, JNU, New Delhi-110067 (Modern History).

2. Dr. Vishwa Mohan Jha, C-304, Mayur Apartments, Sector-9, Rohini, Delhi-85 has been nominated under Indo-Russia Cultural Exchange Programme

D. ICHR FOUNDATION DAY (2007 - 2008)

The ICHR celebrated its 36th Foundation Day on 27th March 2008 at the Constitutional Club, Rafi Marg, New Delhi. Professor Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Chairman, ICHR gave the welcome speech. A major event of the function was the release of three prestigious publications of the ICHR’s ‘Towards Freedom Project’ by Shri Arjun Singh, the Hon’ble Minister for Human Resource Development. These publications, one each for the years 1939, 1945 and 1946, have been edited respectively by Professor Mushirul Hasan, Professor Bimal Prasad and Professor Sumit Sarkar. The erudite editors were honoured by the Council.

On this occasion the Council’s book on ‘Inscriptions of the Vijayanagar Rulers’ (Vol. II), edited jointly by Shrinivas Ritti and B.R. Gopal, was also displayed.

The book release function was followed by the Seventh Foundation Day lecture delivered by the eminent historian, Professor Satish Chandra, on the theme: ‘Social and Attitudinal Change in Medieval India (13th – 17th century)’.

The lecture was followed by the award-distribution ceremony in which awards were given to those staff-members of ICHR who had distinguished themselves in the Hindi Pakhwara held in the ICHR premises from 14 September to 30 September 2007. The Foundation Day function came to end with a vote of thanks proposed by Dr. Y. Chinna Rao, the Member Secretary, ICHR.