Kiran Karnik Papers

Content Description

Archival material related to Kiran Karnik's work at the Physical Research Laboratory (PRL), Indian Space and Research Organization (ISRO), the United Nations and other international organizations. Material includes drafts and final versions of Karnik's writings for print media, chapters of books, and reports authored for various institutions. The collection also includes print media clippings, some correspondence, and a few loose photographs. Type of material: Loose documents, spiral bound books, print media clippings, reports, newsletters, loose photos, compact discs, magazines and newspapers - media clippings, photos.

Condition Description

Lot 1: Decent condition except fungus in a few documents (these are isolated). Lots of dust accumulation. Documents must be handled with care as the edges are cockled and fragile. Paper clips must be removed. Old newspapers are acidic and brittle. All the plastic file covers must be removed. Documents must be handled with care. Few documents display signs of foxing. - Dhanya Shree. May 21, 2026. Lot 2: Decent condition, some papers are very brittle in the edges. Cello tape, rusted pins and paper clips must be removed. Discoloured documents and newspaper must be interleaved. Lots of dust accumulation. - Dhanya Shree. Jun 19, 2026

Accession Date

2026-02-04

Disposition

All material is processed as a new collection, MS-065 (Kiran Karnik Collection). All material received will be appraised for archival value, which will be retained for the collection. Duplicates, discards to be reviewed by donor for next steps.

Acquisition Type

Gift

Provenance

Material was first appraised by Venkat S in December 2025 at Karnik's residence in Gurgaon. Sanjna GY packed and shipped the material from Gurgaon on 4th February 2026 via Safexpress. A first shipment of four boxes was received at NCBS by Ravi KB on 6 February, 2026. Another shipment of archival material from the same location (Karnik residence) was packed by Kiran Karnik and family in June 2026--three Safexpress boxes were received and unpacked by June 15, 2026, by Sanjna GY and Venkat S. This is being treated as a single accession with two lots: the source of the material is the same location in the Karnik residence.

Retention Rule

Permanent retention. The Kiran Karnik Collection fits within the scope of the Archives at NCBS as part of the history of space sciences in India, especially focused on the SITE programme. The archives shall have full authority to handle the material in the future, as per the Deed of Gift (except for third-party copyright).

Language of Description

English

Script of Description

Latin

Restrictions Apply

Yes

Access Restrictions

This accession is closed for access till archival processing is complete. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for clarifications.

Use Restrictions

This accession is closed for access till archival processing is complete. Contact archives@ncbs.res.in for clarifications. General rule: Copyright may not have been assigned to Archives at NCBS. The Archives at NCBS makes no representation that it is the copyright owner in all of its collections. The user must obtain all necessary rights and clearances before use of material and material may only be reproduced for academic and non-commercial use. Access and use guidelines for the Archives at NCBS can be viewed at https://archives.ncbs.res.in/access. For queries, contact archives@ncbs.res.in.