Central

Section 1 of The Destruction of Records Act, 1917

This Act may be called the Destruction of Records Act, 1917. 1[It extends to the whole of India except 2[the territories which, immediately before the 1st November, 1956, were comprised in Part B States].] STATE AMENDMENT Karnataka Amendment of section1 of Central Act V of 1917.--In section 1 of the principal Act, after the expression “except the territories Which immediately before the 1st November 1956 were comprised in Part ‘B’ States”, the expression “other than the territories specified in clause (a) and clause (c) of sub-section (1) of section 7 of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956 (Central Act 37 of 1956)” shall be added. [Vide Karnataka Act 3 of 1963, s. 3].

Summary

This section gives the official name of the law as the Destruction of Records Act, 1917.
It states where the law applies, which is the whole of India except certain territories.
The excluded territories are those that were part of Part B States immediately before the 1st November, 1956.
In the state of Karnataka, there is a special local change that adds certain specific areas back under this law.

Practical examples

1Rajesh, a resident of Mysuru in 1964, wants to know if the local court can destroy old files under this law. Because of the Karnataka amendment of 1963, the law applies to his specific region, meaning the court can clear out useless documents.

2Amit lives in a territory that was a Part B State right before November 1, 1956. He checks if this particular law covers his local municipal records in 1958 and finds out it does not apply to his area.

FAQ

1. What is the formal name of this law?

It is called the Destruction of Records Act, 1917.

2. Does this law apply to all parts of India?

No, it applies to the whole of India except for the territories that were part of Part B States right before the 1st November, 1956.

3. Is there any state with a special modification to this section?

Yes, Karnataka has a state amendment from Karnataka Act 3 of 1963 that changes the extent of this section.

Test yourself

Q1.What is the official name of this Act?

Q2.Under Section 1, which territories are excluded from the Act?

Q3.Which state added a special amendment to Section 1?

Q4.What is the exact date mentioned regarding the Part B States exclusion?

Q5.Which Karnataka Act amended Section 1 of the Central Act?

2NextSection 2 [Repealed.].

Section 2→