Indian Historical Records Commission (IHRC) Adopts a New Logo and Motto

The Indian Historical Records Commission (IHRC), an apex advisory body on archival matters, acts as an all-India forum of creators, custodians and users of records to advise the Government of India on the management of records and their use for historical research. Established in 1919, the IHRC is headed by the Union Minister of Culture.

In order to visually communicate the unique identity of IHRC and the ethos that it represents, an online competition was launched in 2023 on MyGov portal to invite the designs for logo and motto, and in response a total 436 entries were received.

The following entry for logo and motto submitted by Shri Shaurya Pratap Singh (Delhi) was selected for the logo as well as the motto of the IHRC:

The logo signifies the theme and uniqueness of IHRC entirely. The pages in the shape of lotus petals represent IHRC as the resilient nodal institution for maintaining historical records. The Sarnath pillar in the middle represents India’s glorious past. Brown as the colour theme reinforces the organization’s mission of preserving, studying and honouring India’s historical records.

The motto translates as “Where history is preserved for the future.” The motto holds great significance for the IHRC and its work. The IHRC plays a vital role in identifying, collecting, cataloguing and maintaining historical documents, manuscripts other sources of historical information. By doing so the Commission ensures that valuable historical knowledge is conserved for future generations. The motto, therefore, reflects the Commission’s commitment to ensuring the safeguarding of historical documents and making these accessible for the benefit of present and future generations.

The following entries, four each for logo and for motto, were awarded consolation prizes:

Logo:

1. Ms. Manaswee Chandwaskar (Indore, Madhya Pradesh)
2. Ms. Deepika Mandal (Bengaluru, Karnataka)
3. Ms. Nonanda Verma (Jodhpur, Rajasthan)
4. Ms. Shivanshi Chauhan (Chuttmalpur, Uttarakhand)

Moto:

1. Ms. Jasneet Kaur (SAS Nagar, Punjab)
2. Naresh Agrawal (Indore, Madhya Pradesh)
3. Shri Raju Chatterjee (Kolkata, West Bengal)
4. Shri Rinkal (Bharuch, Gujarat)

The winning entry will be awarded a prize money of Rs. 50,000/- while consolation prizes of Rs. 5,000/- each will be given to all four shortlisted entries for logo and moto respectively.