PM underlines need for widening scope of research on modern Indian history

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday underlined the need for widening the scope of research on modern Indian history and called upon academic and cultural institutions across the country to produce well-researched work on the contributions of social reformer Swami Dayanand Saraswati as well the Arya Samaj that he founded in 1875.

Modi made the remarks during the Annual General Meeting of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) Society, in his capacity as its president, hosted at 7, Lok Kalyan Marg here, officials said.

The NMML was established in the memory of India's first prime minister Jawaharlal Nehru, and is an autonomous institution under the Ministry of Culture.

The prime minister "underlined the need for widening the scope of research on modern Indian history both in terms of individuals, institutions and themes, so as to create better awareness among people about India's past," the ministry said in a statement.

He also emphasised upon the "need for institutions in the country in general to create their well-audited and researched recorded memory for the benefit of the present as well as future generations," it said.

During the meeting, Modi expressed satisfaction over the design and content of Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya and underlined the important fact that "this museum is truly objective and nation-centric, not person-centric", and that it suffers neither from undue influence nor from unwarranted absence of any required facts, the statement said.

In order to take the message of the Sangrahalaya, highlighting the achievements and contributions of all the prime ministers of India to the people, Modi spoke on the need to make the Sangrahalaya popular among the youth by organising competitions about its content in colleges and universities across the country, the Culture Ministry said.

He expressed hope that in the near future, the museum would emerge as a central attraction for visitors to Delhi, from India and other parts of the world, it said.

Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya housed in the historic Teen Murti Bhawan here was inaugurated by Modi on April 14 in 2022. The first light and sound show of the new museum, on journey of India's space programme was also launched in December.

The prime minister also touched upon the 200th birth anniversary of Swami Dayanand Saraswati, one of the most influential social and cultural figures of modern India, which will fall in 2024.

He called upon academic and cultural institutions across the country to produce well-researched work on the contributions of the great visionary and social reformer, as well on the Arya Samaj which is going to complete 150 years of its existence in 2025.

The chairman of the Executive Council, Nripendra Misra, spoke on the current working of the Society as well as outlined the vision for the future.

In particular, he highlighted the plans for the Library, which is the leading institution in the field of modern and contemporary Indian history, as well as for the Pradhanmantri Sangrahalaya, the statement said.

Members of the NMML Society and of the Executive Council attended the meeting, in which the annual report and audited accounts of the institution were adopted, it said.