Task Force for Government Libraries

Ministry of Culture constituted a Task Force vide order dated 16.10.2009 to examine various recommendations of 5th Central Pay Commission (CPC) relating to Government Libraries and their staff. The composition of the Task Force was as under:



1. Joint Secretary, Ministry of Culture Chairman

(In charge of Library Section)

2. Dr. S. S. Murthy Member

(Retd. Director, Defence Science

Documentation Centre)

3. Sh. M. C. Raghvan, Member

(Retd Librarian Indian Institute of

Public Admn)

4. Dr. S. Majumdar, Member

(University Librarian, Delhi University)



5. Dr. Ramesh C. Gaur, Member

(Head, Kala Nidhi Division, IGNCA)

6. Dr. P. R. Goswami, Member Secretary

(Director, Central Secretariat Library)



The terms of reference of the Task Force were:

(i) to devise a proper formula for the categorization of various types of libraries.

(ii) to recommend revised criteria for the categorization of libraries.

(iii) to explore the possibility of setting up of Library Cell in the Ministry of Culture.

Task Force was to submit its report within 3-4 months. The Task Force submitted its report in July, 2011. Salient features of the recommendations pertained to the following:



1. New parameters suggested for categorization of libraries.

2. Changes in the existing parameters for categorization of libraries.

3. Assistant Editor and Sub-Editor who are language librarians to be treated as library professionals.

4. Libraries having special nature to be independently evaluated and categorized.

5. Professional opportunities for qualified librarians.

6. ‘Government Libraries’ to be defined.

7. Mandatory maintenance of statistics of the quantifiable parameters used in categorization by all Government Libraries.

8. Resolution of anomalies for categorization of very small libraries with very few staff.

9. Establishment of an Indian Library and Information Science Service.

10. Application of revised categorization formula in 10-12 libraries identified by Ministry of Culture to test its utility.

The Task Force submitted its report in July, 2011 and it was sent to the Ministry of Finance. MOF examined the report and suggested certain revisions in the categorization formula and returned it to Culture Ministry. The report was revised keeping in view the comments of MOF. It has again been sent to the Finance Ministry.

Members of the Task Force were nominated by the Ministry of Culture on the basis of their specialization and experience in the field of Library and Information Science including computer applications in libraries.