SRC, Bengaluru

Establishment

To assist the Council in the organization of its academic programmes within the Southern Region and to provide documentation and library services, the Southern Regional Centre was established on 6th February 1998 and was inaugurated by Sri. S.R. Bommai, Union Minister for Human Resources Development, Govt. of India. During the last few years , the SRC has grown into a fine and exceedingly useful institution. In fact, the SRC Library has now been recognised as one of the best and most developed historical research library in Bangalore.SRC has developed close links with scholars in the region as well as elsewhere through various academic activities such as seminars, conferences, workshops and participation in various historical congresses.

Regional Advisory Committee

An Advisory Committee consisting of eminent historians has been constituted for advising the Centre on the planning and development of its programmes.

Objectives of the SRC

The ICHR has before it the primary objective of promoting research in the field of history and allied subjects in the southern part of the country through this centre. This centre aids in encouraging a research mindset through building a bridge of knowledge extending from areas of excellence to areas of untapped potentials.  The Centre helps to coordinate the research projects sanctioned by ICHR in the region.

Aims of SRC

• The primary objective of the Centre is to improve the research capacity of scholars and potential research in the region so as to encourage research in historical studies all over the region.
• To build up a resource centre and subscribe to periodicals in history and allied subjects to provide latest research material to the scholars in the southern region in both regional and English language.
• Guide budding historians about the various activities, grants, fellowships and facilities available at ICHR
• Coordinates Junior Research Fellowship exam conducted by ICHR  for the  scholars in the Southern part of the country.
• Organise workshop in Research Methodology and other areas which needs attention .
• Arrange lectures, seminars and discussions for budding scholars with the help of eminent historians in different parts of South India.
• To publish important publications both in regional and English language
• To represent the ICHR within the Region and to work for extension of its academic programmes to the historians in the region.
• To bring the historians of the region closer for promotion of historical research
• To bring the ideas and problems of the historians of the region to the notice of the head office ICHR, New Delhi
• To serve a link between the historians of the region and national and international communities of the historians.
• Organize meetings of the Research Project Committee, Project Directors and Subject experts and Ph.D students for streamlining the progress of their projects and fellowships and to bring to the notice of the ICHR, the problems and difficulties faced by the scholars.
• Coordinates various research projects to promote and facilitate historical research in the region.

Seminar/Workshops/Conferences

During the last 20 years , the Centre has organised  more than hundred academic activities in the form of seminar/workshops/conferences/exhibition and book discussion  programmes in different parts of the Southern region.
Distinguished foreign historians invited to India by the Council under its programme of international collaboration visit the Centre. The Centre takes advantage of their visits and also those of other foreign scholars who happen to visit the city by arranging meetings with specialists, researchers and professionals and by organising seminars/lectures in their respective field of specialisation for the scholars in the southern region.

Acquisition of Collections

The Centre has so far acquired the following collection of books on donation basis
Shri.Tirumale Rangachari                                  
Shri C.S.Patil                                                      
Deccan College Pune                                        
Karnatak University Dharwad                            
Kannada University,Hampi                                
Karnataka Research Institute,Dharwad            
Veerashiva Adhayana Samsthe,Gadag          
Sreenivasa Mandiram,Bangalore                    
Dr.Gayathri Devi                                              
National Archives,New Delhi                          
The Mythic Society,Bangalore                         
Dr.Anuradha, Bangalore                                                  
Dr.G.S.Gai, Bangalore                                    
Shri.Aadhya Ramachari                                
Dr.Basavaraj Kalgudi, Bangalore                  
Central Sahitya Academy, Bangalore          
Shri. Nanjunda Shetty                                    
Dr.Balasubramanya                                      
Prof.K.Paddayya, Pune    
                           
                                                                                 

Library collection

The Centre has a well equipped library and the facility of online databases as Jstor and others. So far 14000 books are available for reference. The SRC subscribes to a number of foreign, Indian and regional journals in the field of history and allied subjects.  An average every year about 1500 scholars visit the library for reference.

Publications

The Centre has so far published 30 books in the last few years which includes Epigraphical series, .  Lecture Series Publications, Seminar Proceeding Volume, Kannada Translated Books and CD-RoM of Epigraphia Carnatica Volumes.
 

Display of Bangalore History at Metro Station

Comprehensive information about the History of Bangalore both in Kannada and English prepared by Dr. S.K. Aruni, Director (JPL), is displayed by the BMRCL in Metro Station at Mahatma Gandhi Road, Bangalore, with due acknowledgment to the Council.