THE FOLLOWING CLASSIFICATION ARE MADE FOR THE MANAGEMENT OF RECORD BY THE GOVERNMENT OF THE HIMACHAL PRADESH AND DEPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATIVE REFORMS ORGANIZATION WORKING FOR THE GOOD GOVERNANCE AND TRANSPARENCY IN ADMININISTRATION.

Records constitutes an important part of any office and it is, therefore essential that they are retained and properly cared for.Records that have outlived their utility should be destroyed, as such the record management is very wide and includes interalia principles, practices and skill needed for achieving the most effective creation , use , maintenance, retention protection ,preservation and weeding/ elimination of record .The main purpose of the record management are (1) To speed up the location of and reference to record as a means of speeding up disposal of business .(2) To effect savings in cost of creating, locating, using, maintaining, retaining, preserving and eliminating record .(3) A scrupulous avoidance of creation of unnecessary record in all offices .It is the foremost duty of all offices and officers to see that only that record is created in the Department as is essential .(4) To retain only the necessary active and required record .(5) Audit of record creation which requires consistent vigilance on the part of officers to ensure that,reports ,returns , statements and registers etc prepared or maintained in various offices under their control are the minimum required for the efficient functioning of the department . RECORDING :-- (1) Recording is the process of closing of a file after action on all the issues under considerations thereon has been completed .(2) When the dealing hand is satisfied that no further action is required to be taken on a file, he will put it up to the section incharge for his approval to the file being recorded under one of the following classes :-- Class 1 :-- to be retained for one year .Class 2:-- to be retained for 3 years Class 3:-- to be retained for 8 years .Class 4:-- to be retained for 15 years Class 5:-- to be retained permanently.