The Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), a memorial to Jawaharlal Nehru, the architect of modern India, is housed in the historic Teen Murti Bhavan and its grounds, located south of Rashtrapati Bhavan in New Delhi, the capital city of India.
Designed by Robert Tor Russel and built in 1929-30 as part of Edwin Lutyens' imperial capital, Teen Murti House was the official residence of the Commander-in-Chief in India. In August 1948, after the departure of the last British Commander-in-Chief, Teen Murti House became the official residence of independent India's first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, who lived here for sixteen years until his death on May 27, 1964. Soon thereafter, the Government of India decided that Teen Murti Bhavan should be dedicated to him and house a museum and a library.
On Jawaharlal Nehru's 75th birth anniversary on November 14, 1964 Dr. Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, President of India, formally dedicated Teen Murti House to the nation and inaugurated the Nehru Memorial Museum.
Founded as an autonomous institution, the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML), is dedicated to the objective of preserving, recollecting and reconstructing the history of the anti-imperialist struggle in India. Envisioned as a unique, world-class institution of advanced study, it promotes academic research in the field of modern and contemporary history.
On 1 April 1966, the Government set up the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society to manage the institution, which has today emerged as a place of pilgrimage for the Indian masses on the one hand and as a premier research centre and a forum for intellectual activity on the other.
Initially, the Museum was set up in the eastern wing of Teen Murti Bhavan and the Library in the western wing. With the rapid growth of research material in the Library over the years, there was a pressing need for more space. An exclusive Library building was constructed and inaugurated by Shri V. V. Giri, President of India, in January 1974.
The continued steady increase in the volume of research material further necessitated the construction of an Annexe building, which was completed in 1989. The Centre for Contemporary Studies was set up as a new unit of NMML in this building in 1990.
Over the past four decades, the NMML has emerged as a premier institution of research on the history, society and thought of the modern and contemporary period. Endeavouring constantly to maintain and enhance its reputation as a centre of academic excellence, NMML is simultaneously engaged in trying to popularize the ideas and values of Jawaharlal Nehru and the movement for India's independence.
Our institution is an important example of a vibrant and enduring academic culture in India.
Lectures and Seminars, which constitute an important activity of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library, are organized regularly and their deliberations published. Instituted to mark the Foundation Day of NMML, the Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Lectures are held annually while fortnightly seminars are held to facilitate discussions between the Fellows of the Centre for Contemporary Studies.
The NMML has enhanced and expanded its academic resources considerably in the recent past. Today, the Library houses not just an exhaustive collection of published material on numerous aspects of modern and contemporary history but also possesses an impressive and diverse archival holding. Regularly updated, expanded and made available for research, these holdings make the NMML a major academic destination for Indian and foreign scholars from diverse disciplines and varied fields of interest.
The General Council, the President and the Vice President of the Nehru Memorial Museum and Library Society are nominated by the Union Government. The current members of the Society are:
Dr. Manmohan Singh, Prime Minister of India
President of Society
Smt. Sonia Gandhi
Member
Dr. Karan Singh
Vice President &
Chairman, Executive Council
Shri Mammen Mathew
Member
Shri U. R. Ananthamoorthy
Member
Shri Arjun Dev
Member
Dr.(Mrs) Shanta Sinha
Member
Shri Y.K. Alagh
Member
Shri Javed Akhtar
Member
Shri Narayana Murthy
Member
Prof. Suranjan Das
Member
Secretary, Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Fund
Member
Representative of University Grants Commission
Member
Director, Nehru Memorial Museum and Library
Member
Secretary, Ministry of Finance
Member (ex-officio)
Secretary, Ministry of Culture
Member (ex-officio)
Secretary, Ministry of Urban Development
Member (ex-officio)
The Government also nominates an Executive Council from among the members of the Society. The present members of the Executive Council are:
