Home ministry says over 11,000 files destroyed ‘in accordance with rules’

An RTI reply by Home Ministry over the controversy of ‘destroying’ of files relating to the ministry by Purushottam Agrawal, an academician, reveals that between 5 June and 8 July, 11,100 files were destroyed by ministry of home affairs.

The response from MHA clearly states that the files and documents were destroyed as per the extant record retention schedules of the government of India. Also the RTI states that all the ‘Important files of permanent nature have not been destroyed. Such files (in physical form) continue to be in possession of the concerned sections of MHA.’

In a query as to where these files have been sent, MHA mentioned in the RTI that ‘Important files created up to 1988 have been sent to National Archives of India (NAI),’ while ‘Files which are less than 25 years old are still with MHA.’ The ministry says any information on these files can be retrieved in the future for study and research purpose from NAI.

The reply also carries a copy of the letter from cabinet secretary Ajit Seth, which clearly indicates that the instructions to destroy the files came from prime minister Narendra Modi himself. ‘File and papers should be weeded put in accordance with the rules of record keeping including digitisation, wherever necessary. This exercise should be completed within three-four weeks,’ states the letter dated 5 June.