Details of all material in the India Papers collection are in the main catalogue. You can also browse the catalogue using a shelfmark search, with this guide to help you.
The India Papers shelfmarking system was devised so that there is the root 'IP' ('India Papers'), then a two-letter code representing either a publishing department or a type of publication. In addition to the root IP, there is the state number (where appropriate) and the classification code.
Indian states
Each state is identified by a number which appears in the pressmark immediately after the initial IP which marks all India Papers: so all papers of the Bengal Presidency have pressmarks beginning with IP/6/. A You will find a complete list of the states and their numerical codes is given in Appendix 2. Their classification codes are in Appendix 3.
You can also discover what material exists on a particular subject or locality using codes in the shelfmark. For example, for material on famines throughout India, check the classification code FB under each state.
Central Indian Government
In the central government papers every code apart from AA and XA represents a publishing department. You will find these codes in Appendix 1.
But as well as searching under likely departments you can use the old subject arrangement on which pressmarks are based.
The classification K, for example, represented industry and commerce, and all departments mainly concerned with these fields now have codes beginning with K, such as KC for the Department of Industries. We have listed the old subject classification in Appendix 4.
Appendix 1 — Central government classification
| AA | Miscellaneous |
| BA | Linguistic Survey |
| CA | Curator of Ancient Monuments |
| CB | Archaeological Survey of India |
| CC | Indian Museum |
| D | [Miscellaneous Commissions and Committees} |
| DA | Indian Hemp Drugs Commission |
| DB | Indian Industrial Commission |
| DC | Indian Service Commission |
| DD | Royal Commission on Labour in India |
| DE | Pamir Boundary Commission |
| DF | Leprosy Commission |
| DG | Indian Famine Charitable Relief Fund |
| DH | Chemical Services Committee |
| DI | Taxation Enquiry Commission 1953-1954 |
| EA | Survey of India |
| EB | Marine Survey |
| EC | Topographical Survey |
| ED | Ethnographic Survey |
| FA | Military Department |
| FB | Marine Department |
| FC | Indian Munitions Board |
| HA | Home Department |
| HB | Legislative Department |
| JA | Finance Department |
| JB | Central Revenue Board |
| KA | Commerce Department |
| KB | Commercial Intelligence ('Statistics) Department |
| KQ | Industries Department |
| KD | Labour Department |
| KE | Patent Office |
| KF | Imoerial Institute |
| KG | Imperial Shipping Committee |
| KH | Planning Commission |
| KI | Ministry of Community Development and Cooperation |
| KJ | Department of Atomic Energy |
| LA | Legislative Assembly |
| MA | Education Department |
| MB | Information and broadcasting Department |
| MC | Tourism Department |
| NA | Foreign Department (afterwards External Affairs) |
| NS | High Commissioner for India |
| NC | Political Department |
| PA | Board of Scientific Advice |
| QA | Sanitary Commissioner |
| QB | Indian Medical Service |
| RA | Civil Veterinary Department |
| RB | Imperial Bacteriologist |
| SA | Revenue and Agriculture Department (afterwards Agriculture Department) |
| SB | Imperial Council for Agricultural Research |
| SC | Botanical Survey of India |
| SD | Indian Central Cotton Committee |
| SE | Forestry Department |
| TA | Meteorology Department |
| VA | Geological Survey |
| WA | Public Works Department |
| WB | Railway Department |
| WC | Telegraphy Department |
| WD | Post Office |
| WE | Civil Aviation Directorate-General |
| WF | Mines Department |
| WG | Consulting Architect |
| XA | Censuses |
| YA | Imperial Record Department |
| YB | Indian Historical Records Commission |
| ZA | Imperial Library |
| ZB | Publications catalogues |
Appendix 2 — Numerical list of states
| IP | India (Imperial government) |
| IP/1 | Ajmer Merwara |
| IP/2/ | Andaman and Nicobar Islands |
| IP/3/ | Assam (1874-1905, 1911-) |
| IP/4/ | Baluchistan |
| IP/5/ | Baroda |
| IP/6/ | Bengal |
| IP/7/ | Eastern Bengal and Assam (1905-11) |
| IP/8/ | Calcutta (Municipality) |
| IP/9/ | Western India States Agency, including Bhavnagar and Rajkot |
| IP/10/ | Bihar and Orissa (1911-36), Bihar (1936-) |
| IP/11/ | Orissa (1936-) |
| IP/12/ | Bikaner |
| IP/13/ | Bombay (Presidency) (with Sind 1847-1935) |
| IP/14/ | Bombay (Municipality) |
| IP/15/ | Sind (1935-) |
| IP/16/ | Burma |
| IP/17/ | Rangoon (Municipality) |
| IP/18/ | Central India Agency |
| IP/19/ | Central Provinces, later Madhya Pradesh (with Berar from 1903) |
| IP/20/ | Hyderabad Assigned Districts (otherwise known as Berar, 1853-1903) |
| IP/21/ | Hyderabad (Princely State) |
| IP/22/ | Coorg |
| IP/23/ | Dehli |
| Ip/24/ | Janmu and Kashmir |
| IP/25/ | Madras (Presidency) |
| IP/26/ | Madras (Municipality) |
| IP/27/ | Madras States Agency (Travancore, etc.) |
| IP/28/ | Mysore |
| IP/29/ | North West Frontier Province |
| IP/30/ | North West Provinces (to 1901); United Provinces (1901-) |
| IP/31/ | Oudh (linked with North West Provinces from 1877) |
| IP/32/ | Punjab |
| IP/33/ | Rajputana |
| IP/34/ | Sikkim |
| IP/35/ | Cochin |
Appendix 3 — States classification
| AA | Miscellaneous |
| AS | Accountant General |
| AC | Administration |
| AD | Agriculture Department |
| AE | Archaeology |
| AF | Army |
| BA | Bacteriology |
| BB | Boilers |
| BC | Botanic gardens |
| CA | Census |
| CB | Chemical analyst |
| CC | Cinchona |
| CD | Commerce |
| CE | Companies |
| CF | Co-operative Societies |
| CG | Cotton |
| CH | Court of Small Causes |
| CI | Currency |
| CJ | Customs |
| DA | Defence |
| EA | Education / Public instruction |
| EB | Excise / Abkari |
| EC | Emigrants |
| ED | Ethnography |
| FA | Factories |
| FB | Famine |
| FC | Finance |
| FD | Fisheries |
| FE | Forests |
| GA | Gazetteers |
| GB | General Department |
| HA | Harbours |
| HB | Health |
| HC | High Court |
| HD | Hill tracts |
| HE | Home Department |
| HF | Horse-breeding |
| HG | Hospitals |
| IA | Income Tax |
| IB | Industries |
| IC | Irrigation |
| JA | Jails / Prisons |
| JB | Judicial Department / Justice |
| LA | Labour |
| LB | Land Records |
| LC | Land Revenue |
| LD | Legal Department |
| LE | Legislative Council |
| LF | Libraries |
| LG | Lighthouses |
| LH | Lists |
| LI | Local self-government |
| LJ | Linguistic Survey |
| MA | Marine Department |
| MB | Medical |
| MC | Meteorology |
| MD | Mines |
| ME | Motor vehicles |
| UF | Municipalities |
| MG | Manuscripts |
| MH | Museums |
| 0A | Opium |
| OB | Observatory |
| PA | Paper currency |
| PB | Photozincographic Department |
| PC | Plague |
| PD | Police |
| PE | Political Department |
| PF | Port Commissioners |
| PG | [Not used] |
| PH | Public Department |
| PI | Public health / Sanitation |
| PJ | Public instruction / Education |
| PK | Public Service Commission |
| PL | Public Works |
| PM | Public Works — hydro-electricity |
| PN | Public Works — irrigation |
| PO | Public Works — railways |
| QA | Publications lists |
| RA | Records |
| RB | Registration |
| RC | Revenue |
| RD | Ruling Princes / Chiefs |
| RE | Rural development |
| SA | Salt |
| SB | Sanitation / Public health |
| SC | Science |
| SD | [Not used] |
| SE | Settlement |
| SF | Stamps |
| SG | State Colonies |
| SH | Statistics |
| SI | Survey |
| TA | Telegraphs |
| TB | Town planning |
| TC | Trade |
| VA | Vaccination |
| VB | Veterinary Department |
| WA | Workmen's Compensation |
Appendix 4 - Original classification of central government papers
| A | Miscellaneous |
| B | Language |
| C | Art and archaeology |
| D | [Not used] (formerly History and genealogy) |
| E | Surveys (formerly Geography) |
| D | Armed services |
| G | [Not used] (formerly Communications) |
| H | Home affairs (formerly Administration) |
| I | [Not used] |
| J | Economics, finance and taxation |
| K | Trade and industry |
| L | Legislative assembly (formerly Social conditions) |
| M | Education |
| N | Foreign affairs (formerly Justice, crime and jails) |
| 0 | [Not used] |
| P | Science |
| Q | Medicine and public health |
| R | Veterinary science |
| S | Agriculture and forestry |
| T | Ueteorology and astronomy |
| U | [Not used] (formerly Astronomy) |
| V | Geology |
| W | Public works and communications |
| X | Census |
| Y | Records |
| Z | Bibliography |