National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology

About National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology

The urgent need to initiate a Museum University was felt as 1983 specially for starting advanced teaching in the realm of art-covering its history, conservation and its museological and parameters, leading to post-graduate and doctoral degrees.As a first step, it was late Dr.L.P. Sihare, the then Director of the National Gallery of Modern Art and later Director General of the National Museum, who conceived and conceptualized a post-graduate diploma course in the History of Global art including modern art along with a conservation project called 'Restoration of Oil Painting'. These projects were first started at the National Gallery of Modern Art in 1983 and later on shifted to the National Museum in 1985. Subsequently, the parameter of these projects were enlarged to make it more intensive and universal. Here the embroinic stage of a museum university took the shape. Consistent efforts were made to start an Institute for awarding post-graduate as well as Doctoral degree in the faculties of History of Art, Art Conservation and Museology. This was to facilitate the Museums all over the country to have trained professionals. With the recommendation of the University Grants Commission, the Department of Culture, Ministry of Human Resource Development took a decision to establish the National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology (NMIHACM) on 28.5.88 and to accord the status of a deemed to be university as an autonomous organisation. As a follow up of the Govt's decision, the Society of the National Museum Institute of History of Art, Conservation and Museology was duly registered with the Registrar of Societies, Delhi Administration, on 27th January, 1989 under the Societies Registration Act, XXI, of 1860. Subsequently regular teaching programme under the three faculties began from May, 1990. The Institute mainly runs three M.A. and three Ph.D. courses - one each in the disciplines of History of Art, Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art and Museology. Other Courses are subsidiary. The three courses are integrated. For example, an M.A. student (Conservation) studies one basic course in Museology and one in History of Art in addition to his/her own courses in Conservation. The Institute, being located in the National Museum, utilizes the entire infrastructure of the National Museum - its laboratory, workshops, auditorium, library, modelling section, photo section and of course, its art collection, both on show and in reserve.

Location  - Presently, the Institute is located in the National Museum, Janpath, New Delhi. In the coming 3-4 years, the Institute will have its own campus in its plot of land at A-19, Sector 62, NOIDA, U.P.

Faculty

• Conservation.
• History of Art.
• Museology.

Facilities and Features

Hostel Facilities - Presently, the Institute is located in National Museum and consequently does not have its own campus and Hostel buildings. As soon as the buildings are ready in its NOIDA campus, the hostel facilities to its students can be provided.   

Semester System - The Institute follows semester system and there are two semesters in a calendar year extending from July to December and January to June.

Seminar System - A student of Ph.D. is required to opt six seminars while that of an M.A. only four -one is each semester. The seminars of Ph.D. scholars shall be based on their research topic and those of the M.A. on the courses that they have studied. A seminar has three aspects (A) written paper of about 25 pages (5000 words typed or hand-written), properly illustrated with map, sketches, drawings, reproductions (in black and white or colour or xeroxed), (B) delivering a 30 to 60 minutes talks (preferably with slides or other audio-visual aids) on his/her seminar paper in the presence of his/her Course Professor and students. Outside experts may also be invited & (C) Cross-examination or discussion.

Institute Library - The National Museum Institute Library has a collection of 68,014 Slides which includes ACSAA collection on selected topics. The slide collection of the Library has been fully digitized. The Library is fully automated with NGTLMS (New Generation Total Library Management Software) and also has collection of important books, journals, photographs etc. The library subscribes a number of reputed journals from all over the world in the field of History of Art, Museology, Conservation, Archaeology, Library Science etc. For the benefit of its users, the library also has some modest facilities like a computer cluster of 7 computers connected to a local area network (LAN) giving access to the above said library software and also the Internet facilities through broadband. In fact all the computers of the Institute have broadband Internet connectivity through Wi-Fi networking system. The library also provides facilities like photocopying, scanning and printing in black & white and colour at nominal charges to its users.

Selection of Language - The medium of instruction is English. However, the students are allowed to submit their answer sheets, seminars, dissertations research papers etc. either in English or in Hindi.

Compulsory Language - One Foreign language (German, French, Spanish, Japanese, Chinese, Greek) or Classical Language (Sanskrit, Tamil, Prakrit, Persian, Arabic) is compulsory for the M.A. and Ph.D. students. Language classes in French, German and Sanskrit are held in the Institute between 1.30 p.m. to 2.30 p.m.

Training - Practical training, visit-cum-demonstration-cum-lecture to one or more museums / monuments / academies / universities is arranged. Demonstrations/practical classes are held by taking the students around the galleries / reserve collections / workshops.

Non-Indian Art Education - In India there are very limited institutions offering studies in non-Indian Art. The Institute in addition to the Indian Art courses is striving to offer courses, to the extent possible, in Global Art also. Presently the Institute is offering courses in the Art of various Asian regions, Renaissance Art, Greek Art, Egyptian Art, etc.

Short Term Courses -  The Institute also run short term courses in the History of Art stream for general public.

The courses are:

1. Art Appreciation Course (Enqlish) - The Art Appreciation Course is similar to the India Art and Culture course, except for the global input. In addition to Early, Medieval and Post Medieval Art, this course also offers Western and European art - both modern and classical. Chinese Art, Japanese Art and South East Asian Art. These courses culminates in slide identification examination. This is to evaluate the observation power of the students and their newly acquired knowledge. Illustrated lectures are delivered by a select group of scholars now twice a week i.e. on Tuesday and Thursday from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. for the Indian Art and Culture and 5.30 p.m. to 7.30 p.m. for the Art Appreciation course.
2. India Art & Culture Course (English) - Hindi version of the course is known as Bhartiya Kala Nidhi. Bhartiya Kala Nidhi lectures are held on Wednesday and Friday at 10.30 a.m. for two hours. This course concentrate on the Indian art in totality. It covers the Early Indian Art (from Indus to Gupta period), The Medieval Indian Art (from Post Gupta to Mughal Period), the Post Medieval Art Period, Modern Art and the Folk and Tribal Art of Contemporary India. Lectures are delivered by select groups of scholars twice a week i.e. Tuesday and Thursday in the morning from 10.30 a.m. to 12.30 p .m.

Academic Exchange Programme - As part of Cultural Exchange Programmes (CEPs) of India with foreign countries, the Institute admits students sponsored by the Indian Council of Cultural Relations in various courses of the Institute. In the year 2006, one student each from Vietnam and Myanmar were admitted to M.A. (Museology) course. A student from China associated herself with the Institute for her post doctoral studies.

Study Tour - An educational tour for the students of all the three disciplines was organized for 12 days to Mumbai, Aurangabad, Ajanta, Ellora, Pitalkhori, Lonar, etc. Professor (Mrs.) A. Sengupta in the Department of History of Art and Shri Ravindra Goel, Finance Officer accompanied the students.

Internship to the students - The students of the Institute were placed as interns in the various sections/departments of the National Museum and other organisations for a period ranging from 2 to 6 months. As an intern, the students are paid an internship @ Rs.6000/- per month.

Merit Scholarships to M.A. students - Based on the approvals of Finance Committee and the Board of Management, 8 merit scholarships each for the first and the second year students, were instituted by the Institute in December, 2006. Out of the 8 scholarships, one scholarship each is reserved for the Scheduled Caste (SC) and Scheduled Tribe (ST) category students. The scholarship amount is Rs.3,000 per month plus a contingency grant of Rs.2,000 per semester.   

Events - Symposiums, seminars, conferences and special lectures by eminent persons in the fields related to the Institute are held regularly. In addition to theory classes, demonstrations / practical classes are held by taking the students around the galleries / reserve collections  / workshops.

Foreign Students - All international students wishing to undertake any research work or join a Ph.D.programmes will have to obtain prior security clearance fro the Ministry of Home Affairs and the approval of  Department of Secondary & Higher Education, Ministry of Human Resource Development, government of India and this must be on the research visa endorsed to Institute. International students who are awarded scholarships by the ICCR New Delhi shall be given preferential treatment while granting admission.