Archivist

Receiving old government and private records, sorting and listing them, deciding what to keep, repairing and microfilming fragile papers, scanning them for digital archives, and helping researchers find files.

A day in the work
You reach the record room, check which files came in yesterday and log them in the register. Then you sort one batch by date and subject, write a catalogue entry for each file, and mark any torn or brittle pages for repair or scanning. Around noon a researcher arrives looking for old letters, and you help trace the right file. In the afternoon you check scanned images, fix errors in the digital catalogue and put the files back in their boxes.

1. Step 1 · Class 7–12Choose any stream. Arts with History is the easiest fit. Read widely, practise neat handwriting and good English or Hindi, and get comfortable with computers. Old scripts and languages can help too, because NAI also has Oriental Records posts.
2. Step 2 · 3 yearsDo a BA, preferably in History. Aim for good marks. The master's and the diploma both ask for at least 50%.
3. Step 3 · 2 yearsMA History, with one paper in Modern Indian History (post-1750). NAI also lists other social-science and science master's degrees as eligible for its diploma, but government job notices often ask for MA History, so check them.
4. Step 4 · Diploma entry (July–August notice)Apply to the NAI One-Year Diploma in Archives and Records Management. The notice usually comes out in July–August. There are 30 seats: 20 for private candidates and 10 for employer-sponsored ones. Private candidates sit a screening test and an interview. You must be below 30 on the closing date. For 2026–27, NAI extended the last date to 31 August 2026.
5. Step 5 · 1 yearTrain at the School of Archival Studies. You study archives management, public records management, conservation, reprography, and information and communication technology. You also write a dissertation based on archival material. Diploma holders can apply for a six-month paid internship at NAI.
6. Step 6 · Job noticeApply when a post is advertised. Examples are Assistant Archivist at Delhi Archives (through DSSSB), state archives or an institution such as a central university. The Delhi Archives rules of 2024 ask for MA History with Modern Indian History plus a diploma in archives and record management, with an age limit of 30 (reported). Selection is a written test, and sometimes an interview or skill test, as set in each notice. (reported — check with the official body)
7. Step 7 · ProbationDirect recruits to Assistant Archivist Grade-I in Delhi Archives serve a two-year probation (reported). Senior archivist posts at NAI, such as Archivist (Oriental Records) at Level 8, are filled mainly by promotion, or by deputation if no one is eligible. So the early years in service matter. (reported — check with the official body)

• Main government routeBA History, then MA History, then the NAI one-year diploma, then a government Assistant Archivist post. This is the route most notices ask for.
• Short certificate coursesNAI runs short certificate courses of 4–6 weeks in archives management, records management, reprography, and care and conservation. They are open to graduates with 50% marks. They are useful for learning a skill, but they are not the one-year diploma that Assistant Archivist notices usually ask for.
• Related fieldsA library science or museum studies background can lead to archive-related work in libraries, universities and museums. Check each employer's notice for what it accepts.

Fees from: National Archives of India: One Year Diploma Course · National Archives of India: FAQ (scholarship, internship, lodging) · DU School of Open Learning UG Prospectus 2026-27 (PDF) · NAI One Year Diploma Course page (mirror domain naidev.businesstowork.com) · NAI School of Archival Studies 84th Short Term Course admission notice (official PDF, different course). Fees change every year — check the college's own fee page before you pay.

Government pay follows a fixed pay level and rises with promotions, while private, corporate and university archive jobs vary a lot by employer and city and are far fewer.

NAI's diploma follows Government of India reservation norms for SC, ST, OBC, EWS and Divayang (disabled) candidates. For job posts, check the reservation and age-relaxation rules in each recruitment notice.

• Class 7–9Make a small family archive. Pick 10 old photos or papers, put each in a clean folder, and write who, where and when on a card. This is cataloguing, the core of an archivist's work.
• Class 10–12Open the National Archives of India's online portal, Abhilekh Patal, and search for a topic you like. Pick one record and write five lines on what it tells you.Open link ↗
• College or afterAsk a local museum, library or university department if you can volunteer for a few days sorting or listing papers. Also check the NAI 'What's New' page every July–August for the next diploma notice.Open link ↗

• The NAI diploma has an age limit: below 30 for private candidates on the closing date. Do not delay after your MA.
• Posts are few and notices are irregular. Higher NAI archivist posts at Level 8 are filled by promotion or deputation, not by direct entry.
• Assistant Archivist qualifications differ by employer. A 2026 JNU advertisement, for example, listed a different set of qualifications from the Delhi Archives rules. Always read the exact notice.
• NAI has its head office in New Delhi, a regional office at Bhopal, and records centres at Bhubaneswar, Jaipur and Puducherry. So early postings are in a handful of cities.