Recognizing the advantage of digitization of records towards promoting good governance, the Government of Kerala has encouraged digitization of records in various Departments. Digitization offers advantages like easy accessibility and retrieval, protection of data authenticity, data security besides the possibility to save and store in multiple formats. Once the data is digitized, processing of files becomes easier and faster compared to the manual system. Access to background data and keyword-based search is possible with digitization. Furthermore, digitization enables access at multiple points at the same time, thus reducing delay in processing files. Users can also save these files to the system or any other media for future reference. With the introduction of the IT Information Act the relevance of digitization has increased even more.

Taking into account the situation, C-DIT as a Total Solutions Provider to the GoK, took initiatives for establishing a separate department for providing Digital Archiving solutions to its clients. Apart from establishing digital archives, the department also focuses on Archival Conservation and restoration techniques whereby old and damaged records can be revived by providing them with strong reinforcement and through that their strength and longevity may increase.

Major Activities

  • Digitization of Paper Documents and Palm Leaf
  • Creation of Metadata and development of Web enabled Documents Archival and Retrieval Information Management Systems
  • Development of E-books in pdf and other formats used in mobiles, ipads, kindle and other e-book readers
  • Archival Restoration
  • Development of Digital Collections of Materials (Digital Library) pertaining to a particular department/institution with focus on the Cultural Institutions and on heritage data of Kerala.
  • Provide technical digitization support, and services to those private/public institutions/departments that are not able to wholly or partially do it themselves.
  • Provide or mobilize experts to conduct training and support for persons and institutions that would like to embark on digitization and digital preservation exercise.
  • Coordinate collaborative digitization and digital data preservation initiatives among departments and other organizations that are keen to collaborate and or provide digitization support to others.
  • Impart training and customization in Open source Digital Library Systems such as D-Space, Greenstone and E-Prints.
  • Provide services in Archival Restoration techniques.
  • Impart training in Archival conservation and restoration methods.

Awards/ Commendation
The Digital Heritage Archiving work (DIGIARCHIVES) undertaken by the Digitization Department for the Kerala State Archives Department which has won the FutureGov Award, 2010 in the category “Information Management at the FutureGov Asia”Pacific summit held at Kota Kinabalu, Malaysia.

Head of the Department
Deepa.N
9895788220
deepa[at]cdit[dot]org

Manager
Rohit Panicker